The Plumbline

If you have ever tried to "watch your steps", you might just have tripped over your own two feet!  Worse, you actually are paying so close attention to your steps, you miss the post in front of you and run smack-dab into it!  You probably notice this the most whenever you are trying to watch what you say; for words can be the toughest things to keep a rein on, can't they?  At the moment we determine to watch our words, we can almost count on something slipping past our lips, out into the open space between us and the one who will hear them, never to be in our control again!  The main issue with US determining we are gong to influence our steps or control our tongue is our total inability to do either!  We definitely need some influence outside of our own effort to get this stuff right, don't we? I’m determined to watch steps and tongue   so they won’t land me in trouble.  (Psalm 39:1 MSG) The very next verse of this psalm points to the dilemma we all face:  

Lead and follow - two directional words, each conveying a little different action from us.  To lead, one is guiding something in a certain direction - the direction already being predetermined and the course understood.  To follow, one moves behind, but in the same direction as the one who leads.  It is most hard to get our ears to be leaders and our tongue followers, isn't it?  Most of the time, we allow our tongues to lead and then surprise our ears with whatever our tongues say! Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.  (James 1:19-21 MSG) This passage makes it quite clear why we might just have some of the issues in life we face today.  It is in the &quo

Have you ever experienced a "temper-fire"?  Over the last couple of years, the Arizona forests have had their share of challenging fires.  Some ignited by man, others ignited by nature, but all damaging in their effects.  Fire has a way of "catching" and "taking hold" quicker than we can imagine.  A few week's ago, we had a fire in our neighborhood.  The entire home was lost to the ravages of the licking flames.  The destruction of one spark resulted in the complete devastation of the home.  Fire is indeed not a thing to be taken lightly, especially when it is a "temper-fire". A gentle response defuses anger,  but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.  (Proverbs 15:1 MSG)   Temper-fires are those moments in time when we put on display the heat of anger - sudden outbursts - sparks of passion which can "catch" quicker than we realize.  One thing to keep in mind as we begin this study is the condition of mind which is behind this k