The Plumbline

Abraham Lincoln said, "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." We all have a reputation - that shadow of our character - some of us better in some ways than another, but we all have our "bad stuff" we'd rather nobody ever associated with us! A reputation is the "estimation" we have of someone simply by what we observe, or don't observe, in their performance / behavior. It is only an "estimation" as scripture clearly reminds us we cannot really know a man's heart - only God can truly see "into" a man's heart. We see the shadow - God sees the roots. Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people. (Proverbs 3:3-4) We "earn" a reputation - growing like a shadow we can see it is not given to ...

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow."  (Helen Keller)  These are pretty profound words from a non-sighted individual!  When our face is fully and completely turned into the "son-light", we don't see the shadows creeping along behind us, or crawling up alongside! Indeed, the shadows are not even in our view because the "son-shine" is so brilliant we don't have time or need to even consider the shadows in life! God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn:   when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes, when you avoid sin’s highway, when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse.   For you, the Eternal’s Word is your happiness.  It is your focus—from dusk to dawn. You are like a tree, planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry. Your fruit ripens in its time; your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun.  No matter what you do, you ...