The Plumbline

And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (I Peter 5:5-6) Elder or younger - all relate to one another in humility - this is God's plan. Pride gets the dander up quicker than anything else and it disrupts any movement toward unity or peace faster than a speeding train. Elder isn't to "lord it over", nor is younger to challenge the authority set over them. If we'd just get this right, maybe we'd stand half a chance at changing the course of this world! When our 'loyalty' is divided between God and this world, chaos is sure to ensue. Look at what James tells us, "Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided betw

I've heard there are troubles of more than one kind; some come from ahead, and some come from behind. But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready, you see; now my troubles are going to have troubles with me! (Dr. Seuss) Wouldn't it be nice to always live in a "Dr. Seuss" world where everything rhymes and all in life is whimsical and free? News Flash: The world isn't 'Dr. Seuss' compatible at times! Some troubles come from ahead, some from behind - this is reality. I have to ask - are you ready for those troubles? If you are like me, they sometimes catch you a little off-guard! You 'think' you are prepared, but when they hit you full-force, are you really? A moment of true confessions here - I'm not! In fact, I find myself kind of mulling over the muddle I am in and then realize I am gonna need some help! We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. When we have learned not to give up, it shows we

Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. (Deuteronomy 8:1) Be Careful! The instructions the people who would become the nation of Israel received all those years ago. Though they were spoken to reference their specific movement from wilderness wandering into the land of Promise, they actually have application for us today. The first instruction they receive as they are about to set out on this new journey was to "be careful" - to mark their lives, their actions, and their thoughts with attentive concern so as to avoid error or any omission of truth or trust. The challenge to us is to be living in such a way that we show close attention to the details when it comes to conforming to the Word of God. It has often been said that the "devil is in the details", but I would like to challenge you to think more appropriately that "God is