The Plumbline

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (James 1:5-8) We are reminded in Proverbs 3:5-7 to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." As we all have varying backgrounds, we likely approach life's challenges in various ways. We might just find ourselves turning to this world's wisdom first, then when it doesn't do what we hoped it would do, we turn to God. As long as we rely upon the wisdom the world offers, we will be limited in our perception of th...

For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. (Romans 2:13-15) "Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune." (Carl Jung) That is the power of the conscience - it warns us something is out of 'tune'. When we begin to 'tune into' God's Word and his still small voice, our conscience will begin to alert when we are about to do or say something that is not in keeping with his will. It is learning to listen to that 'alert' and 'heed' its warning that gives us all that ...

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. (Psalm 143:10)  I am one who needs a lot of 'teaching' when it comes to doing God's will. Make no bones about it - we choose our own way over God's way and then find ourselves working our way back to the way he asked us to go anyway, so why do we do it? When we stop to consider how 'hard' it seems to find and walk in God's will at times, we might just have to admit how insanely hard it is to walk our way back into his will once we have decided to go our own way! That 'hardness' in choosing righteousness isn't by accident - it might just show how 'willing' we are to put God first in our lives, even when it isn't the easiest thing to do! It may not seem like it at first, but those who choose to rebel against the will of God will endure a hard ending. We might think they are enjoying life now, but I don't suspect they will enjoy ...

And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will.   And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us. (I John 5:14-15) Yesterday we looked at taking our worries to Christ and allowing him to intervene (taking the weight of those worries as his own). One of the key components of actually allowing this 'transfer of weight' is talking with Jesus about what it is that has us all muddled up on the inside. We have to be open with him in prayer, letting him know specifically what it is that burdens us, and then allow him the opportunity to settle our spirits, minds, and souls. Today, we continue with the thought that he actually listens when we ask him to take on those burdens. Unlike humans, he can shut out the distractions all around him, focusing solely on what it is we are bringing to him in our times of prayerful conversation. Things in line with his...

Right-living is something the Bible refers to as "righteousness" - it is the idea of learning to order your steps according to the plans and purposes of God.  The design of the designer is always the best plan for the creation, is it not?  We can "recommission" some things for other use, such as making a lamp from a vase, or turning a stool into an end table, but it was not the intention of the creator of these to see them used these ways.  In fact, the vase was designed to be adorned with richly scented, magnificently colorful flowers.  The stool was designed the support the weight of a human, not a table lamp. They "function" okay in their "recommissioned" purpose, but they sure function best when they are doing exactly what they were created to do!  The same is true with each of us. You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by  God . You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find hi...

I love to read - my favorite venue being mystery.  I like the suspense of seeing the plot unfold until you discover the "who done it" at the end!  By definition, a mystery is anything (or anyone) which presents features or qualities so obscure as to arouse our curiosity.  The "fun" comes in unraveling the obscure features.  I think God likes mysteries, too! 5  Just as you'll never understand  the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, s o you'll never understand  the mystery at work in all that God does. (Ecclesiastes 11:5 The Message) God is at work all around us - in today's moments - unveiling little by little the elements of his "mystery" in us and through us.   Did you ever wonder why God sometimes takes a great deal of time unveiling his mystery in us?  For one thing, we probably could not handle the whole thing if it was revealed in one great "dump of data" into our finite brains!  More importantly, I think G...

13-15 My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening. And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours. (I John 5:13-15 The Message) If every chapter of our lives was opened with the words, "My purpose in writing this chapter in your lives is...", we'd feel a whole lot better about what is going on at the moment!  The truth is, we don't know the end from the beginning, so we enter each new chapter of our lives with just a little bit of fear, a tiny bit of doubt, and/or an overwhelming amount of both!  Here in our passage, the writer does us the favor of laying it out plainly - I am writing this truth to you because it has the power to set you straight in your o...

  1-2  Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you. I say to  God , "Be my Lord!"  Without you, nothing makes sense.    3  And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!  (Psalm 16:1-3) When we really determine to walk the pathway of a disciple, it will cost us.  The pathway is not always traveled by as many of those we call "friends" as we'd like to think.  Yet, when we find someone to travel with us in this journey of faith, what a blessing it is!  We need each other to understand and fulfill God's calling on our lives.  We each compliment the other, challenging and uplifting, learning together what is contained deep in the Word of God. David's words ring true in the hearts of many who engage in this walk of discipleship with Christ - without you, God, nothing makes sense.  We can attempt to make sense out of tragedy, loss, or even a success - without God, and those he places in our...

5-6  Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;    he's the one who will keep you on track. (Proverbs 3:5-6) The very next verse in this same passage goes on to say, "Don't assume you know it all."  The common theme I hear from other Christians is how much they struggle with "knowing the will of God" for their lives.  Our passage gives us insight into getting "connected" to the will of God.  First, there is a development of a trust relationship with the God we serve.  Next, we have to stop relying on what we can "reason out" in our own minds.  Then, we have to truly begin to listen to the still small voice of God - no just some of the time, but in all we do and in every decision we make.  The promise is that God will help us stay on the right course in our lives if we do. Psalm 32:8 tells us that God "looks us str...