The Plumbline

Open the eyes of their hearts,  and let the light of Your truth flood in . Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. ( Ephesians 1:18   VOICE ) Open eyes are the product of God's action in our lives. In spite of all our searching, trying to uncover the "unknown", we cannot see God unless he gives us the vision by which we behold him. True "spiritual sight" is not like natural sight - it is received and interpreted deep in the heart of man. The one thing which remains consistent with our natural sight is the need for light. Sight is really the receiving of all manner of light, complete with every hue of color that light carries. In a similar way, the light God gives into our hearts helps us see him in the fullness of his splendor - full of grace and truth, awesomely holy and fully righteous, good and just. The hope we seek is not found in darkness - by groping aro...

Walt Whitman said, "Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."  There is more truth to those words than Walt may have known.  When we face the Son, the shadows of doubt, fear, and plaguing memories can finally fall behind us, but not until we make that full transition to beholding his light.  In the shadows of doubt we find this building fear and mistrust.  In the shadows of fear we linger too long in places we feel we cannot escape unharmed.  In the shadows of plaguing memories we find ourselves holding to what has proven to do little more than disappoint.  Shadows are not our dwelling place - they are the result of the Son being behind us, right there for us to move toward when we are finally ready to flee those shadows! The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always.   He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water. He soothes my fears; He makes me whole again,...

Have you ever stood long enough to really look at your shadow, or perhaps the shadow cast by your car?  I am a ponderer, so I have!  I stop for periods of time and consider things - sometimes stuff others might just not stop long enough, or consider important enough, to think on.  So, last week, I began to "ponder" shadows.  What you get when I "ponder" is the results of my "thinking things through"! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  I will fear no evil; f or You are with me;  Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  (Psalm 23:4 NKJV) Psalm 23 is one of the most "popular" psalms in the Bible because it is so frequently recited at the graveside.  As a means of some comfort, the loved ones are reminded God walks with their loved ones - and them - even in the valley of the SHADOW of death.  Now, I don't know if you have ever experienced any death in your life, but as a nurse, I have seen more than my ...