The Plumbline

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. (Francis of Assisi) People who work for evil make trouble, but those who plan for peace bring happiness. (Proverbs 12:20) What is your 'plan' moving forward? It doesn't really matter that you have made a mess of the plan up to this point - it matters what you will do moving forward. Our planning is important - God's plans are more so. What God plans can change the heart of a man - our plans merely change 'things' around us that may affect our heart, but rarely does it change our heart for good. We need God's plans worked out - especially when we have made a mess of the plans we imagined! Plan for peace - get your heart right with God - them move on. The more we turn our plans over to God, the more we may find those plans have been affecting our heart (our inner man) in some ways that have actually kept us from realizing all God has for us. Sometimes we need t...

John Wooden reminds us to, "Never mistake activity for achievement." We can all get wrapped up in the 'activity' and miss out on really achieving much in it. When we focus on the activity rather than the reason for it, the people involved in it, and the outcome we desire to see from it, we miss out on the moment. He also reminds us that it is the "little details that are vital...they make big things happen". There comes a time when we need to just 'make big things happen' in life. We need to buy that new car, move to a new house, start a new job, get involved in a new church, or learn to make new friends. Much activity doesn't mean we will accomplish any of these - it just means we may not sleep very well at night! Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. (Ecclesiastes 5:3) As important as the activity may be, we need to be able to shut down and rest. We need that renewal for the health of our bodies and brain...

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:1,9) Do you ever struggle to find the right answer to give to someone? There are times when this is a little harder than others - such as when truth needs to be shared, but you are pretty sure it won't be appreciated. No matter what the circumstances are for us today, we probably have some 'plans' for our day. They may not be all that grand, as it could just be a day of leisure when we luxuriate in the warmth of our home, but those are plans. Determined individuals may have more plans than those who live their lives rather spontaneously. A determined individual may even have something referred to as a five-year plan. They 'plan' in big ways. The bad news is that even the best laid 'five-year plan' may amount to dust if God isn't guiding those plans. The one whose heart is determined to consistenly follow Jesus might ha...

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:20-21) If you are a 'planner' like I am, you probably use a variety of electronic applications and even paper lists to keep track of the 'stuff' you need to get done in order to accomplish those plans. One thing I might not have learned early in my life was the need to ask God for his 'list'. I made all the lists, exclusive of seeking his perspective on the list. If you have ever made a few of those lists only to see that they didn't really pan out all that well, you know how frustrating that can be - so, is it any wonder that I ask God to show me his perspective on my list now? God's purpose will prevail - that is a pretty 'set in stone' kind of statement, isn't it? We go about getting all the 'advice' and 'instruction' we can find, but are we really getting ALL of i...

 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17) How do we begin to make the most of the opportunities in front of us? It might just begin the moment we take time to think through our decisions. We all make flash decisions, but that should not be our primary way of living. We need the time to bring our day before the Lord and listen to what he says to us. In the church, this is called our quiet time, but in my life, I call it my planning time. Why? It is when I take my day to him, gaining his perspective on what should have priority and what should not. It includes time in his Word and sufficient time to actually think upon it. It involves prayer - discussion with God. Maybe the most important thing is the time I take to listen, so I don't go off my own way and do things without reason or outside of his tim...

Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get. (Proverbs 20:18) Most of us don't get up in the morning and set out aimlessly on our day. Even that cup of coffee you are drinking is made with purpose - you wanted it! Purpose can also be described as determination - being directed toward a certain point and then doggedly making every effort to get to that point. Our "purpose" is to be found in Christ - his life within us is to give meaning to our steps and a sense of determination to our actions. Some of us don't feel like we understand our purpose in life - having been shot down a few times when we tried to step out to do something or having believed for way too long that our actions don't matter or make a difference. We can come to Christ with our feelings of being "aimless" and "purposeless" - asking him to bring clarity, give us direction, and to bolster us for the journey ahead. We come to a p...

  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the  Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) There are seasons in our lives where 'planning' is just not possible. We call those crisis times. In those moments, we react to the current needs, forgetting all about plans we may have made or plans we'd like to make. Why? Our attention is required in the present moment. It is good to know that even when we are not able to 'plan' or 'work the plan' we have made, God remains fully in control of our lives. His plan is being worked, even when ours may have had to go on hold for a bit! As we move from crisis moment to 'normal routine' again, we may assume the plans we had made, but it is quite possible our plans were altered by the crisis. Why? The crisis made something clearer, rearranged our priorities...

Do not those who make sinful plans go the wrong way? Kindness and truth are for those who plan good. Proverbs 14:22 NLV  Planning is a good thing - most would agree - but the wrong set of plans, even in the hands of a good man may not turn out right! Why? Good plans usually produce a better 'end result' than bad plans. Yet, the hands in which the plans are organized and carried out matter a whole lot, don't they?  I am a novice wood-worker. Plans in my hands need to be very, very simply illustrated and the tools need to be quite basic. Yet, even with the simplest of plans, plainly laid out, I can mis-cut a piece of wood and end up with ends that don't match as they should. Why does this happen? It is usually because I didn't read the plans all that well! Good plans are only part of the end result - the guidance of the hands combined with the engaged mind go a long, long way toward producing a better result! The same is true in our daily walk with Jesus. We g...

Attitudes of heart that God absolutely despises are not a secret - he does everything in our power to let us know what to watch out for in our own lives and the lives of others. This morning, we will examine the heart that hatches evil plots. It is important to remember that scripture refers to the "heart" a lot - if there is repeated focus on anything in scripture, we are supposed to pay attention to what God says about it. We may not realize that this is really the seat of our emotions, the center of our personality and temperament - so no wonder God spends so much time trying to help us understand it. The part of us that is driven or controlled by emotional response is often the main thing that gets us into trouble - not that there was a temptation right there in our path! When emotions are out of control, we might just offer up a short prayer of quick deliverance so they will 'settle down', but there are other times when we simply allow them to spin on and on....

I like watching those animal shows where you learn how they survive the brutal winters, or the intense heat of the dry and arid lands in which they live. Their ability to hunt for food and secure water is always intriguing. One thing is frequently seen in these shots - they don't 'settle' for the first thing that comes along. They 'lay in wait' for a while in order to be sure they are pursuing something they have a good chance of actually securing as their meal. I find it truly amazing how many of us humans "settle" for the first thing that comes along - something or someone appears to be whatever we think will fulfill our immediate need or emptiness of spirit and we 'jump' toward it.  God's hope for us is that we will learn to be a little more discriminating in our choices - willing to wait until what 'comes along' is exactly right to fulfill that need.  His desire is that we would come to use the wisdom and direction of the Holy Spi...

Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. (Proverbs 16:2) Count them all up and you may just be surprised by how many times you "settle" for the first thing that comes along - something or someone appears to be whatever you think will fulfill your immediate need or emptiness of spirit and you just 'settle'. We definitely need to be a little more discriminating in our choices - as evidenced by some of our choices. God's greatest desire is that we would come to use the wisdom and direction of the Holy Spirit to move us toward what truly matters and away from what only holds value for the immediate moment. We settle - God probes. God searches deep into a matter, investigating and understanding prior to taking action. Look at how many examples we are given in scripture of God's examining hearts, looking deep for ones who are committed to following him, really getting to understand the heart behind our actions, not just the...

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. ( Romans 12:12 TLB ) Ever notice how well you can plan things when you are really motivated by the thing you are planning? I don't get much time away from the house, especially to just relax and fish, or hike. I am a caregiver to an elderly mom during all my 'off hours' and work a full-time job. That means the things I 'plan' are for my renewal and overall well-being. It means I plan pretty much all I can so as to really make the most of these times away. Even the best laid plans don't always go as they were designed because there are just some things we cannot plan - like the weather, the fish biting, or the mosquitoes leaving you alone. You have to trust God with the things 'not in your control', while you plan well what you can exercise control over. Know this - God is always planning on our behalf. His plans are bigger than our plans and he has a way of orchestra...

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest. ( Jeremiah 29:11-13   TLB ) What is a future without any hope? What are plans worth if not held together by hope? Today, there is a wood bed frame out of trash pick up on my neighbor's driveway. The headboard is also just wood railings, but as I glance out on it, I don't see a bed. I see the framework for a mobile tool table on wheels! Now, when that bed manufacturer put those plans together for the bed frame, he probably didn't see any future for that frame other than being a bed. There are always other ways those things intended for one purpose become quite useful for an entirely different purpose in the hands of someone who sees them with just a little different hope. I am looking at all things a little differently since I am working...

Your eternal word, O  Lord ,   stands firm in heaven.  Your faithfulness extends to every generation, a s enduring as the earth you created.  Your regulations remain true to this day,  for everything serves your plans. (Psalm 119:89-91 NLT) If you have ever played that little game of birds and objects to be toppled known as Angry Birds, then you know just how frustrating it can be at times. There are various levels within the game that have challenged me more than a little - the exact "formula" for calculating just the right point an object must be struck in order to get it to topple is sometimes just a little more elusive than I would like to admit. Yet this game makes me think - so I enjoy it. The more I am challenged by a difficult level, the more I focus on finding the solution! In life, there are "difficult levels" to complete - hard solutions that seem to evade us for sometimes longer than we might want to admit. At each level of this game, the player...

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope— never forget that. ( Jeremiah 29:11   VOICE ) Woody Allen once quipped, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him about your plans." It was meant as humor, but I honestly think I may have heard a slight chuckle on occasion from my heavenly Father when I have declared some lofty goal, plan, or purpose for something I am putting aside for later use.  He knows I have not always met my goals; my plans are sometimes a little too one-sided; and what I thought I'd use down the road somewhere just ends up going into the give-away pile at some point. There have been times when I have just sat back and listened to the plans God lays out, luxuriating in the moment when I let the desire to be in control all of the time just go; and then rising to really get behind those plans with all I have in me.  Those are the times I'd have to look back on and declare the plan ...

People go about making their plans,   but the Eternal has the final word.   Even when you think you have good intentions,  He knows your real motives. Whatever you do, do it as service to Him,   and  He  will guarantee your success. (Proverbs 16:1-3 VOICE) Not every plan is a good one.  Heaven knows I have had a good few which just didn't pan out the way I'd hoped!  More than once I have had to go back to square one and start again, not because I didn't have what I believed to be "good plans", but because my plans didn't factor in something along the way. At times, I lay in bed awake at night and think of ways I could make something better.  I have limited space to create a workshop space for myself without building another free-standing shed in the back yard.  Last night was one of those nights I was laying there trying to think of ways to keep storage in the garage, but also give myself some surface space to work on larger projects. ...

The day may start out well, when we think the plan we have outlined for the various tasks ahead will come to fruition, and the sun is even shining - then in an instant, everything so well-planned can erupt into chaos.  As I watched the news last night for a couple of hours, the big deal was a fire at a recycling plant very near our airport.  A very windy day was creating a huge spread of this flame from the original piles of recyclables into some others way down the yard and even possibly to neighboring businesses.  The cloud of jet black smoke bellowed into the sky and was seen for miles and miles. Trust me on this - those guys and gals who worked at that plant didn't "plan" to see their day end that way!  Nor did the rush hour commuters attempting to get to the polling places on election day expect to be in a quagmire of long lines at the polls due to someone in government thinking we could reduce our polling places to 1/3 the number we normally have. ...

You've heard the old adage, "The best laid plans of mice and men..." - but do you know the rest of the adage?  It actually says, "The best laid plans of mice and men go awry."  No matter how carefully we plan, something can always go wrong with our plans.  This is human nature.  Yet, we are planners, aren't we? When we go to bed at night, we are thinking about what the new day will hold, complete with our mental "lists" of all we need to accomplish. Some of us are actual "list makers", having all manner of post-its and agendas at our disposal to organize the vast number of planned things we must accomplish.  It took me some time to realize the real reason for my list making was just so I wouldn't forget to accomplish something!  I thought making lists was just part of life - as I had seen other successful people do it for ages.  Yet, I didn't really know why I was making all those lists until one day I discovered it was just beca...

Integrity is the state of walking by the highest moral code, allowing it to affect your every action and reaction.  There is a condition known as having "double standards" - the state in which the situation dictates the action or reaction.  Most of us would not want to admit we live this way more than we might like - often choosing the action or reaction based on some way of feeling rather than pre-planning our response.  Let me be the first to tell you - to get the right response with any consistency requires some "pre-planning" on our parts.  We have to know what it is we to do, practice it until it becomes a "patterned behavior" in our lives, and then consistently apply the standard to the situation as it arises.  As long as we are aimless, allowing the situation to dictate our standards, we will not have integrity - our thoughts and actions will be kind of disjointed.  God's plan is for us to learn "up front" how to respond or react in t...

Planning is a good thing, except when we do all the planning without consulting what God might just have in mind for our lives.  Plans are a way of arranging things so a particular "scheme" comes about - we make a "schematic" of sorts.  As we formulate a plan, we are really gathering a whole bunch of thoughts around all our options.  Man does a pretty good job of gathering their thoughts, but not always the best job of sorting them out.  It is in the "sorting" process where the right answer, or best plan on how to proceed actually comes about.  Gathering thoughts is really doing nothing more than getting them all accumulated and into a place where we are ready to do something with them.  As you may well imagine, some of this "gathering" on our part is just to formulate any kind of plan so we might actually muster the strength and faculties to "deal" with the thing at hand. God expects us to do the "gathering" of all our though...