The Plumbline

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. (Proverbs 22:3) Prudent - one who takes the time and makes the effort toward future outcomes. Frances of Assisi reminded us: "We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather, we must be simple, humble and pure." The future outcomes will be much different when we aren't making choices that merely please our fleshly desires. A humble heart, one that desires purity, will seek God's direction in daily choices - not just the big ones. The Greek historian Thucydides said, "Few things are brought to a successful issue by impetuous desire, but most by calm and prudent forethought." The 'issue' of our day is defined by the forethought we have put into it, isn't it? Plan well, with God's direction guiding us, and our day's 'issue' will be much more fruitful than it would if we just 'flew by the seat of our p...

Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. (Proverbs 18:2) If you have ever been around some individuals who seem to only care about their own opinion, or how they see the situation at the exclusion of how anyone else sees it, you are likely listening to someone who has no real interest in understanding. As you can see from our passage, scripture calls them fools. It is indeed foolish to not listen to anyone else's opinion or advice, for a great many things can be learned when we stop to see things from another's perspective. God doesn't want us to be the fool, nor does he want us to submit to the foolish way of thinking that some may have adopted. He does want us to consult him in all matters and to consider his wisdom as found in the Word of God when we don't have a clear understanding of a situation. Lest we be 'played the fool', we need to see things as he sees them. Our own perspective may not always be from a place o...

You may think everything you do is right, but the Lord judges your motives. Ask the Lord to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out. (Proverbs 16:2-3) I have made plans, only to have them fall flat at the last moment. You have likely planned something, then been a little disappointed with the outcome, as well. The more we 'plan', the more we need to run those plans through the Holy Ghost filter. The Lord doesn't always want us to go in the direction we are headed, even when those plans seem pretty 'legit' on the surface. Sometimes he has something better for us, or safer. We need to trust him to expose any impure motives that might be directing us toward something, especially when our spiritual, emotional, or physical safety may be concerned! It isn't enough to just ask God to bless our plans, though. This passage makes it sound a bit like we can just throw them out there, ask God to put his stamp of approval on them, and then trudge on...

Nothing reflects so much honor on a workman as a trial of his work and its endurance of it. So it is with God. It honors Him when His saints preserve their integrity. (Charles Spurgeon) Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. (Proverbs 12:15) An honorable workman - can any of us hope to be more than this? We each have a set mission in mind with each new day. We formulate our plans, ask God to take them into his control, blessing them as he does, and we set out. Fools don't ask God's direction, nor do they give him control of their mission. They believe they know the way, even though they have never traveled it before! The wise preserve their integrity by asking for his wisdom BEFORE they launch out on their day's journey. It would be foolish to just get in the car, knowing the general direction of North Carolina from Arizona is more or less east, then just drive without any knowledge of the direction certain roadways or highways would take us. In...

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:14) There is no capacity for our 'unsaved' man to take in, accept, or use the gifts of God's Spirit. By 'unsaved' I mean the part of us designed for God's Spirit to dwell but is empty because we have not said 'YES' to Jesus. Once we invite Jesus to enter into our lives, forgiving us of our sins, and giving us new life in him, we are open to receiving his Spirit. With his Spirit comes all manner of 'open communion' with God...

But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. (Luke 7:35) So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them. (Luke 8:18) We must be willing to listen with a heart that is open. Closed hearts may hear, but they seldom receive what they are hearing. They reject it or ignore it. A wise person didn't become wise by accident. It didn't happen by osmosis. They paid attention, considered what they heard, tested it to see if it was true, and then they acted upon the truth. A listening heart is willing to pay the price to truly 'listen'. We aren't to embrace everything we hear, but when God speaks, he will make truth clear. The enemy of our souls won't make his lies clear, but that won't stop some from embracing them lock, stock, and barrel. Wisdom affects our lives. We begin to behave diff...

Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name, ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’ (Jeremiah 33:2-3) Consider for a moment that the one who formed this earth with the purpose of establishing it would actually reveal to us things that have been hard to understand - things hidden from the naked eye. This is what he promises - to reveal what we don't know, find difficult to understand, and have a hard time distinguishing. That might explain how we can know when the enemy of our souls is trying to pull a fast one on us! We only need to call upon him in order to be able to see clearly what Satan would have us never see in the first place! Call - I will answer. Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? Yet, we find ourselves muddling around in all manner of murky situat...

Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. (Proverbs 13:2-3) Our words actually produce a harvest of goodness and grace, or they create one of bitter weeds and hurtful briars. A weed chokes out all the good growth around it. A briar pricks at whatever it contacts, causing unbearable irritation. What do our words produce?  Good people enjoy the positive results of their words because they don't create chaos, discord, or mistrust in those who hear their words. Words are meant to be heard - once spoken, they cannot be unheard. We might want to 'take back' what we have said, but a seed sown is not able to be retrieved. The control of the tongue is more than learning a 'cultured' manner of speech. It is being able to size up a situation, read the moment, hear the Holy Spirit urging, and then speak when the moment and conditions are...

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon) Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. (Proverbs 9:7-9) We have many responses to a rebuke, don't we? Some of us will scoff and say you are wrong about what you think or say about us. Others will argue vehemently that you have made wrong decisions yourself, so how could you judge their actions as wrong? Some will find any rebuke as belittling, cowering as a child scorned, afraid of what others will think should they find out whatever it ...

 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. (Proverbs 3:21-22) So many times, we count on something other than common sense to get us out of a sticky place. We got ourselves there because we didn't use common sense in the first place! Discernment is just a fancy word that describes the ability to see good from bad and then make the best choice. When we don't use either of these helpers God gave to us, we find ourselves in a muddle. God's purpose in giving us these "tools" was that we'd actually use them. We aren't acting "independent" of God when we use discernment. We are using the good sense he gave us to "interpret" the moment. Yes, we might shoot up a quick prayer asking God to give us wisdom, but we can begin by listening to our conscience. It tends to niggle us a bit when common sense tells us something is not right for us. Perhap...

Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. (Proverbs 9:7-9) Men have many responses to rebuke, don't they? Some will scoff and say you are wrong about them. Others will argue vehemently that you have made wrong decisions yourself, so how could you possibly judge their actions as wrong. Still some will find any rebuke as belittling, cowering as a child scorned, afraid of what others will think should they find out what they have 'done wrong'. When a child of God is rebuked, it is a definite sign they are loved too much to be allowed to continue in their folly.  We may not judge one another - it isn't our place to act as 'judge', but God does ask us to look out for the welfare of one another. We aren't just to turn a blind eye to another's wrong actions. As much as is possible, we must ge...

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (James 1:12) A little earlier in this chapter, we are told that 'if we don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father' and perhaps this is the best advice we could have when it relates to facing 'testing challenges' in life. There are far more times we face those challenges without a clear plan on how to 'handle' the challenge. We want to make it through unscathed, but we know that a whole bunch of stuff is about to be unleashed, and we are in for a whopper of a 'beat down' if we don't get some clarity quickly. At that moment, we can meet it head-on, but to do so without God's perspective on the matter would be sheer foolishness. The testing challenge may be what reveals to us just how deep our loyalty is to God. It is where the rubber meets the road in our faith walk,...

Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. (Proverbs 18:1-2) Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon) The right use of knowledge - have you given that idea much thought in your lifetime? I have possessed some knowledge on occasion, never really sharing it, holding onto that knowledge because I never felt it an appropriate time to share it. We probably all have done that, but to really consider if there is a 'right use' for the knowledge we have been given is always an act of wisdom. Not all knowledge is something to be 'broadcast' or 'touted'. Sometimes it is meant to be held close to the heart, prayed over, and then release...

“Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.” (Proverbs 1:32-33) The old song, "Fools rush in", admits that some can be so blinded by something or someone, all reasonable thought flies out the door. One of the lines in the song actually says, "Though I see the danger there, if there's a chance for me, then I don't care..." It goes without saying that we rush into danger more times than not simply because we failed to exercise wisdom in those moments. How can we get to the place where we 'don't rush in'? We learn to listen to God's voice! God-given wisdom far exceeds human wisdom, but somehow, we think it is okay to just trudge right on into those moments we will come to regret later on. We refuse to listen to his wisdom and find ourselves treading on thin ice. Another line f...

Your parents give you commands and teachings that are like lights to show you the right way. This teaching corrects you and trains you to follow the path to life. (Proverbs 6:23) A parent's advice was not something I relished as a kid, teenager, or even as a very young adult. Somewhere along the way into my adult years, my parents became the smartest and wisest people I knew! It is a miracle what God can do to change our parents, isn't it? Really, I am being a little sarcastic there because the one who changed because of God's help was ME. My parents gave me 'commands' - the rules I should live by. Did I always follow them? Nope! Did I get in a bit more trouble than I really wanted to be in? Yep! Have I learned that their 'advice' and 'teaching' was pretty doggone 'solid' and 'trustworthy'? Absolutely! God's plan for us is that we learn from our parents, listening closely to the teaching that actually will 'train us' for l...

As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise. (Psalm 119:130) Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon) I need light, especially when it is the darkest. In the middle of the day, I even need light in some of those 'recessed places' in my life. Not everything is evident to light until light comes into the place where it has been excluded from exploring. Some of us need a little 'exploring' by Light, don't we? I have often heard believers say they don't know what the Bible has to say - that it is a bit too hard to understand. In answer, I often ask what 'translation' they are using. It could just be that the 'understanding' of the Word is a little 'blunted' because we choose...

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living. (James 3:17-18) Right living is not always what we see modeled around us, is it? At times, we observe others and know their actions are going to create havoc. There are even times we can feel ourselves 'winding up' and know very well that the outcome of that 'wind up' will not fare well for us! Confucius once said, "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." We often revert to imitation because it is the easiest, but I also know from my own personal growth, experience has played a big part in how I view and r...

Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can. When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should. (Colossians 4:5-6) Always be kind and wise. Does that describe your responses to other people you relate to on a frequent basis, much less others who might not know you that well? We have all probably seen those funny memes that depict someone getting on your last nerve, or that one that asks 'did I just say that out loud' kind of humor. The truth of the matter is that we frequently run into situations where we could say something that would not be all the kind or wise, but we 'hold back'. Sometimes it takes more than a little conscious effort to 'hold back', especially when tempers are running high, disappointment abounds, or the 'last nerve' type of stress kicks in. Be wise in the way you act. I know the passages references the way we should...

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...

Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. (Proverbs 18:1-2) Some people just cannot see any other solution to their issue than what they can manage to come up with in their own minds or through their own power. To suggest something outside of that imagined solution somehow makes you the "crazy one" in the equation! There is much danger in being so determined to just do things our own way, though. In many circumstances, the way we determine to be the "best" or "right" may just be the easiest and present the least resistance. I know I have chosen this option more than a few times, only to find out that the easiest "up front" isn't always the easiest on the "back end". My pride kept me from finding out if there was an "easier" or "better" way other than what my mind could muster on it...