The Plumbline

The Lord spoke to Jonah son of Amittai: “Nineveh is a big city. I have heard about the many evil things the people are doing there. So go there and tell them to stop doing such evil things.” But Jonah tried to run away from the Lord. He went to Joppa and found a boat that was going to the faraway city of Tarshish. Jonah paid money for the trip and went on the boat. He wanted to travel with the people on this boat to Tarshish and run away from the Lord. (Jonah 1:1-3) Is it possible to run from God's calling in your life? Yes! Can you do it with a clear conscience? Nope! The truth of the matter is that we cannot outrun God, nor can we deny his calling in our lives. Those whom he calls are also equipped. The calling may not 'measure up' to what we 'desire' in our lives, such as when Jonah was called to go to an evil city, filled with all manner of sin, to bring them the message of salvation. His desire was likely to see them burn for their sins rather than go right in...

I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10) "Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles." (Thomas Browne) Worthless pebbles are sometimes kicked underfoot, tossed aside, or left unnoticed. Would it surprise you to know that is you took one of those 'worthless pebbles' to a jeweler and had him see what he sees within the stone, he might reveal something quite different than what you might have seen in it? In much the same manner, Jesus beholds each of us, rough, ragged, kind of beat up by life, nothing too much to look upon, but within each of us he sees a thing of extreme beauty and value.  God has made us who we are - ...

You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (2 Peter 2:9-10) Too many of us overlook the "as a result" in this passage. Because we are chosen by God, made into a holy body of believers, we can show others the way to find grace. There are times we feel like God could never use our story or talents, but nothing is further from the truth. We all have been called to move away from darkness into the light of his grace. We may not occupy a pulpit, but we have a story to tell and it begins with grace. Once we had no identity worth speaking of, but that all changed the moment we said yes to Jesus. What did mercy change in your life? How did God's grace make a difference in your choices? There is a message in the answ...

If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.   (Romans 12:7-8) God has a plan for each of us, even though some of us think God isn't able to use us, or that we have no 'calling' on our lives. We might be 'gifted' in ways that aren't really obvious as 'God's calling' on our lives, but just because it isn't something obvious such as preaching from the pulpit doesn't make the gift any less needed or important. Are you a giver? Do you equate that to a 'calling'? If we read this passage correctly, it is indeed a 'calling', especially when one has learned to give abundantly and without selfish purpose. All of God's gifts are meant to be used - but have you stoppe...

But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!” (Psalm 22:6-8) Have you ever been under attack so badly that you imagined you no longer mattered - that your existence was like that of a worm, crawling defenselessly along the ground, only to be trampled underfoot? That is a pretty low view of one's life, isn't it? Here was David, the anointed king of Israel, bemoaning his life, feeling like everyone and everything was working against him. If the king could feel this way, what makes any of us think we can escape similar feelings on occasion? There will always be times when we face such hardships with a bit of doubt, frustration, and even some whining! In these moments of deepest despair and depressing circumstances, we have one of two actions - eithe...

“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. (John 9:30-34) It is a rather long story, but I will shorten it a bit for us today. A man born blind just 'happened' to be sitting by the roadside as Jesus came by one day. Jesus made mud with a little spit and some dirt, rubbed it on his eyes, told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, and he came back with his total sight restored. He tells the Pharisees and religious leaders, but they are aghast that anyone would do such a thing on the Sabbath. They send for his parents, even though he was a grown man, ...

Rollo May has reminded us, "It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way." Really ponder that reminder for a bit, because most of the 'running' we do in life is a result of having made choices that have led us down paths we would otherwise not have traveled. It also seems we 'pick up pace' as we run toward what we know we shouldn't be moving toward in the first place. We have chosen what we want over what we need. No, the Lord is all I need. He takes care of me. My share in life has been pleasant; my part has been beautiful. I praise the Lord because he advises me. Even at night, I feel his leading. I keep the Lord before me always. Because he is close by my side, I will not be hurt. (Psalm 16:5-8) God's plan is for us to pursue godliness - decisions that will promote and maintain his presence, peace, and power within our lives. Does it ever amaze you that the 'wrong direction' is the easiest one to pursue? I th...

The Lord gave us each a mind, and nothing we do can be hidden from him. (Psalm 33:15) I've been both a follower and a leader. Everything I did as a follower was based on some insecurity I had formed that almost demanded I do things to please others. In order to "feel" accepted, I did what others asked - even when what they asked would be contrary to what common sense, learned values, and/or sound advice would have warned against. My wrong choices have landed me (on more than one occasion) in many a predicament which required either my attempts at covering it up (when what I did was clearly wrong and would land me in trouble) or in me being "accepted" but all for the wrong reasons entirely. Being a follower is not always the best thing - unless the one you are following is Christ! Even as we follow Christ, he doesn't want us to do so blindly or without purposeful intention. To this end, he gives each of us a mind and expects we will use it! What we beli...

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...

Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep! (Proverbs 14:6) There are people in this world who believe that selfishness motivates people to do things. There are probably more than a few individuals like this, but once someone invites Christ into their lives, it is almost impossible to live that way any longer. A cynic has to believe every action has some underlying "ulterior motive". As we come INTO Christ, the "motivations" of our life begin to change - moving from being a little too self-centered to being "other-centered". The result of becoming more Christ-centered is that we also become more and more "other-centered". This is a good thing since our ego gets us into more scrapes than we might like to deal with in this life! Wisdom is only truly found when we are able to embrace it and as long as we are embracing everything that focuses on and pleases self, we will not be able to...

Life Hack #19: It is part of our make-up to be drawn to that which pleases our senses, isn't it?  As little babies, we were fascinated with all things sparkly and bright colored. The slightest hint of gleam and we'd direct our attention toward the object. Smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and your mouth begins to water for the enjoyment of savoring a warm slice lathered in rich butter. Hear the tender notes of some melody and your toes will start tapping with the beat. Our bodies respond to stimulus from without, but that response begins on the INSIDE of us in response to the thing we are "taking in" through one of our senses. Learning "temperance" is a difficult thing in this life, but if we don't exercise a little self-control over our "sensual intake", we will find ourselves in places we'd probably not like to be! Today's life hack is not about alcohol, but rather the 'appeal' of things to our senses and how w...

Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me! (Psalm 119:17-19) Have you ever heard the saying, "You have not because you ask not"? In reality, many of us spend very little time asking God to open his word to us. We go right to it, open it up, then start reading. When nothing seems to 'pop off the pages' at us, we get a little concerned. We ought to! We neglected to ask God to open the truths hidden deep within those words. Sometimes they are quite obvious, but at others, we need help understanding how they apply to our lives right now. When the psalmist (King David) said he was a 'foreigner in the land', he wasn't applying that term to a real strip of land. He was saying he was a foreigner when it came to understanding God's word. There are lots of times we probably feel like 'foreigners' in God...

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. (Charles R. Swindoll) Who is like the wise man? And who understands the meaning of anything? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine. The hard look on his face is changed. (Ecclesiastes 8:1) What are we truly able to change? Many times, we think we can change others, but that probably hasn't worked so well for any of us. We have a hard enough time trying to change ourselves, much less another! We might think we can change the circumstances upon us, but most of the time we can just 'adjust our attitude' toward them. We sometimes believe we could have changed the world, but the world likely didn't want to be changed as we wanted it changed! Change is inevitable, but our attitude toward it is not. We choose the attitude by which we will face change as it comes. We don't ...

God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. He keeps his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones. (Proverbs 2:6-8) Let's look at two traits described in this passage - being sincere and steadfast. To be sincere, one must be free of hypocrisy, deceit, or falseness; totally earnest in their pursuits; genuine or real in their living. To be steadfast, one must be fixed in one's direction - what we may refer to as being steadily directed. This also calls for us to be firm in our purpose, resolute; firmly established in our path. For the one whose life is tapped into the wisdom, knowledge and understanding which only comes from being intimately connected with Christ, these traits are assured, but we must work to see them incorporated into each and every area of our lives. Most of us desire to live fre...

As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!” He touched their eyes and said, “ Become what you believe .” It happened. They saw. (Matthew 9:27-29) Become: arrive at; grow into; develop into. If someone were to walk up to you and tell you to "become what you believe", what would you become right here and now? What would you "grow into" or where would you "arrive at" in your life? This might be a very telling question for some of us. Most of us don't really have a plan for where we'd like to "arrive at" or what we truly would like to "grow into" in a spiritual sense, much less a physical or emotional sense. We simply live day by day, making the best of each moment, and wonder what the next will hold. I don't think God ...

We all probably have those introspective moments where we consider our future. Have you ever asked yourself if you are where you are supposed to be? Is this the career path you are supposed to follow? Is this the relationship you are to be involved in? Is this the best you can do, or is there more? We all take time on occasion to consider those questions, but the truth of the matter is it doesn't matter where we are, God can meet us right where we are. We don't have to be this or that, get here or there, or accomplish this or something else. God meets us right where we are right here and now - coming to us long before we even realize he has drawn near. The important thing to remember is that God isn't as concerned about where we believe we should be, but rather are where he wants us to be. Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8) Where does God want you to be? Chances...

Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that. (I Corinthians 1:7-9) Wouldn't it be nice to "not need a thing"? To be so "set" in life, nothing we could buy or be given is really needed any longer. If you were to ask a child what they "needed", their list of "needs" would perhaps include the latest super-hero characters, a new building set, or an electric scooter/moped - they might include books, clothes of the latest fashions, or more. If you ask an adult, their "needs" would be a little loftier - like a new set of...

Michelangelo reminds us: " The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. " Yup, this is so true - it isn't that we don't aim - it is that we settle for aiming low. What is your aim in life? Whatever it is, you always want to aim a little higher than your target if you ever expect to hit it. If your target is moving, you track a little in front of it because you expect that the target will move into your aim. The thing is that God doesn't give us 'moving targets' to aim at in life, so his target for us won't move into our aim - we have to adjust our aim to hit his target! The purpose of aiming is to hit something, not hope whatever it is will just happen into our aim! My eyes are on the crown. I want to win the race and get the crown of God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) My eyes are on the crown - this is a clearly defined ta...

For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) If you were to hear those words spoken over your life today, what would you imagine yourself doing with the help and power of God actually guiding you to accomplish it? I think we 'dream dreams', but we seldom see those dreams come to full fruition. We have 'big plans', but they somehow fizzle out before they ever get finished. The more dream, the harder it seems it is to see those dreams become a reality. I dream of retirement and I am getting closer to that place, but today is not the day to accomplish that dream. Just because we dream something doesn't always make that dream come true - but if God is the author of our dreams, those things are already set in motion within our lives that will help to bring that dream to fruition! Disney used to say all our dreams could come true if we had the courage to pursue them. I don...

God has given me His loving-favor. This helps me write these things to you. I ask each one of you not to think more of himself than he should think. Instead, think in the right way toward yourself by the faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3) I allowed these words to sink in a bit this morning because there are just some days when I sit to study and write my blog, but nothing 'new' or 'exciting' comes. I just read, reread, and then attempt something. Ever have those moments? This morning I think God was showing me there is no 'thing' within me that writes these blogs - it is HIM in me that helps me write them! The thought crossed my mind that there are others who might be reading this post today who feel like God will never, or could never do anything good through their lives. The word to you today is this - God has given you his loving-favor AND because of that, you are able to do the things he has designed for you to do. There aren't going to be big flashi...