The Plumbline

Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge. My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. (Proverbs 23:12, 19) Commit yourself to instruction. The word 'commit' carries the meaning of 'binding yourself' to a specific course of action. The course of action God asks for us to 'bind ourselves' to is the study of his Word. Why? It will keep our heart on the right course! There we find wisdom in our daily choices, but we also see what it means to choose unwisely. As I began to get into God's Word as a teenager, I was surprised that God put the stories about 'wrong choices' people made right along with the ones about those who made better ones. It kind of took me by surprise to see some of the 'wrong choices' I was making already having been made by others! Truly, as God's Word reminds us, there is nothing new under the sun. Listen and be wise. Our heart is 'kept' when we listen an...

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Useful - profitable (Gk. ophelimos) - helpful, advantageous, of use in order to teach what is true. Would we expect God to leave us with anything other than what would be 'advantageous' for our daily lives? The more we get into scripture, the more we realize the 'usefulness' of it. There we find encouragement right alongside correction, reminders right next to urgent instruction, and praise intermixed with lament. It truly is a very interesting read, but so many avoid its pages as though it offered absolutely nothing of use for their lives. What is true? If you have ever stood in the midst of a muddle, you might have asked that question. Doubt interwoven with fear, mixed messages of all kinds, a...

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10) Plant a seed of faith, grow a life of good things. Plant a seed of doubt, grow a life of worry and heartache. The truth about sowing and reaping has been around forever. You cannot grow an apple tree from a mustard seed any more than you can grow a life of intimacy with God with seeds of worldly advice. If we want to see one harvest over another, we plant specific seeds. As Paul points out, you cannot live to satisfy your own sinful nature and e...

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...

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I see it as the very power of God working for the salvation of everyone who believes it, both Jew and Greek. I see in it God’s plan for imparting righteousness to men, a process begun and continued by their faith. For, as the scripture says: ‘The just shall live by faith’. (Romans 1:16-17) God's plan - let the gospel permeate the hearts and minds of mankind, changing them at the core of their being. How can this happen if we don't open those pages ourselves, taking in the words contained therein? We can find truth for our everyday lives - generational truth that has sustained and encouraged mankind from the beginning of time. We might forget that our salvation is both a finished and a continual process. When we get into his word, we find that truth begins to work within us. Truth isn't meant to be a one-time exposure - it meant to be a lifetime intake. The gospel message is God's plan for imparting righteousness - at the point of our ...

Study God and his strength, seek his presence day and night... (I Chronicles 16:11) Study God - it is actually a command to spend time getting to know God, his ways of doing things, and the ability he has that supersedes all other ability on this earth or in heaven above. Study and seek - two very 'actionable' words that indicate we don't just get to know God's ways through osmosis! We have to invest ourselves into this search! Seeking is continual - an action we don't just start and stop, taking up again somewhere down the road. It indicates a continual passion or drive to obtain something. Since most of us sleep at night (unless you are an overnight worker), how do we seek both day and night? It begins with an attitude of heart that wants to know him, then it continues with short "arrow-type" prayers throughout the day that set the framework for his presence to be with us even as we sleep. Study is gradual - we don't learn everything at once. Althoug...

I am going to ask a very telling question today. When was the last time you actually picked up your bible, opened it, and read it with 'purpose'? We rely upon others to give us nuggets of truth from time to time, like when we attend church on Sunday, but are we really relying on God to show us his truth, make it alive within us, and help us to overcome some of the things that plague our thoughts or emotions? I recently sent a great many of my 'collected bibles' to donation. I had gathered probably ten or so throughout my lifetime, in Bible College, and along the way. I really only needed just a couple, so I paired down to the ones I most commonly read. Unfortunately, there are some who are 'collectors' of bibles, but seldom actually read what can be found within their pages! I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well. How sweet your words taste ...

T. S. Eliot asked, "Where is all the knowledge we lost with information?" If you are observant, you may have noticed we are 'knowledge rich', but 'wisdom poor' in many ways within our world today. The more 'knowledge' we obtain, the less we use our 'God-given reasoning' and 'conscience' to help guide our decisions. We seem to be lulled into just going along with the flow, whatever current it may be taking us down. We are never without 'resources' to know what is wise and what should be rejected, though. We have God's word - we just need to get into it and allow it to get into us! God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. (Hebrews 4:12) Truth isn't subjective - it is objective - the object...

Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. (Oscar Wilde) I enjoy following your rules as much as others enjoy great riches. (Psalm 119:14) Some will follow every scheme known to man, or create a new one, in order to obtain some form of 'riches', but they seldom last, nor do they bring the ultimate pleasure one believed possible. We can measure 'wealth' in various ways, but if we seek 'wealth' in forms that take us away from following God with all our hearts, then the 'wealth' we seek is flawed. God's riches oftentimes cannot be measured in terms society really understands. "There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men." (Billy Graham) While I agree with Graham, I would add that there are riches that can 'possess a man' that are really not wrong for mankind. Those riches are measured in how well the Word of...

Do you ever feel 'ashamed' about your understanding of the Word of God? There are indeed times when someone will come out with some 'deep' insight into what God has said, then we simply sit there in a state of 'awe' because we had never seen that truth before in that particular passage. We shouldn't ever feel 'ashamed' that we didn't see the truth like they did - we should revel in the fact God surrounds us with people who can see things we might have missed and that they are willing to share them with us! It is one of the means God uses to actually help us learn his truths. Lord, you gave us your instructions and told us to always obey them. How I wish I could be more faithful in obeying your laws! Then I would never feel ashamed when I look closely at your commands. The more I understand how fair your laws are, the more sincerely I will praise you. (Psalm 119:4-7) God gave us his instructions, not so they could sit on a shelf or in a bookca...

My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life. (Proverbs 4:20-23) When God asks us to pay attention it is just that he knows how easily we become distracted by other things or people. The 'loudest voice' or the 'shiniest image' gets our attention and before we know it, we are following the crowd and not him. I recently attended a large gathering and at the end of the event, huge crowds all marched out in no particular order, but with intent. I took particular notice of those who were trying to 'swim upstream', pushing past those who were intent on going one direction when they were committed to going the other. Sometimes our Christian walk can seem a bit like we are 'swimming upstream' while the crowds are swimming smoothly ...

Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed. (Matthew 7:24-27) We hear of natural disasters all the time with nature's full force overwhelming the land. In those places where such devastation occurs, we often see structures that appear okay on the outside but are totally destroyed by the floods or the winds that blew with gale force. What gave the appearance of being "built well" may not have been "planned" well, nor "maintained" well! There is a difference between erecting a structure and then erecting ...

I’m overjoyed at your word, like someone who finds great treasure. (Psalm 119:162) We all have those things in life that just bring us joy. I love petting a sweet kitten, or fluffy puppy. I get all giddy when I reel in the catch of the day. My heart swells when I see something one of my grandboys has made. What brings you joy in life? How is it that you experience joy? There are many today who equate happiness with joy - if I am happy, then I will be joyful. Joy comes when you have experienced a "deep delight" in something which you have found pleasurable. Something exceptionally good or satisfying has been experienced and we find extreme pleasure in it - lasting, deep, and meaningful pleasure. A silly joke makes us happy, while the experience of the birth of our firstborn may make us joyful. One carries the idea of the emotional "response" to the situation, while the other describes the condition of the heart and soul as a result of what one has experienced. Happin...

Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created. (James 1:17-18) Whenever we are faced with something that is less than good, honorable, or pure, we can know for sure that it is not from God. It is something of this 'earthly realm' that really isn't meant as 'the best' for us. When we settle for what isn't the best, we actually are rejecting what God has prepared for us that is meant for our good. We should never think God is tempting us with the 'less than' stuff in life - it is either our own fleshly desires having their way, or the enemy of our soul purposing to redirect our attention away from God.  We are important to him, so he prepared in advance...

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:1-5) Did you know the word "Word" (logos) meant more than 'word' in the Greek language. It also carried the idea of divine reason, mind, wisdom, principle, and message. When John uses 'logos' in this passage, he was indicating all things divine were inherent in Christ - none more important than that he brought the message of salvation for all of mankind! Stop for a moment to consider why John used this form of the word 'logos' to describe Jesus. Perhaps it was because words are what makes up communication - they are what allows the passage of ideas from one person to another....

We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place —until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:18-21) Sometimes we hear or read the same passage time and time again, thinking we already know what it says. The times we 'discount' what God has to say to us in any passage of scripture are times we miss out on God showing us afresh what he has to say, or somehow revealing something we might not have discerned when we were exposed to that same scripture earlier. Either way, we miss out. God's '...

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) Benjamin Franklin said, "It is easier to prevent bad habits than it is to break them." Maybe this is why God encouraged his people to commit themselves to getting into God's Word every day. Recalling his Word on occasion is okay, but 'rehearsing' it until it gets inside of you and begins to affect what you are doing is much closer to what he commanded! Bad habits form a whole lot easier than good ones - at least, that is what I have observed in my own life. The good ones seem to be more difficult because of how I view them - as hard, requiring a 'whole lot of change'. If we didn't form them in the first place, the struggle wouldn't be there! The more we commit to making Go...

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) The opening of this chapter includes a promise - IF you obey all his decrees and commands, you WILL enjoy long life. The caveat? We have to listen closely and be careful to obey. Two very difficult things for us at times! Part of serving God is allowing God to help us get our heart right. We have a deceitful heart and have a hard time knowing how to 'behave' as a result of the confusion we feel at times. We know what is right, b...

How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. (Psalm 112:1, 5-9) Serve God and obey his commands. There is great reward in living according to the standards God lays out for us in his Word. Nothing outdoes the grace of God, no one outdoes his love. Evil abounds, but those who choose to walk with Jesus will never be overcome by that evil. How do we recognize evil? Is it always right 'out there and in our face'? No, certainly not - sometimes it is an undercurrent, an attitude, a cleverly disguised argument. The Word of God actually helps us recognize the undercurrent, avoiding the ...

As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. (Psalm 119:143)  The late Walt Disney said, "It is kind of fun to do the impossible." With God, much of what we see as impossible is really not, but that doesn't minimize the fact that the impossible comes with its own stress and pressure. There is a certain 'stress' within faith - trust requires stepping outside of our comfort zone from time to time. When we do, the pressure that can bear down on us can almost overwhelm us. This is why we must press into our relationship with Jesus even harder during these times.  Someone once told me to enjoy that stress and feel that pressure. Why? It meant I was going to see God work within my life in ways I had never experienced before. So, I took that advice and actually took a different attitude toward all that pressure as the 'impossible' closed in around me. Do you know what happened? Before long, the 'attitude' I had assumed actually beg...