The Plumbline

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. (James 4:7-10) Does this sound close to what we are seeing today in our world: Wars, quarrels, wanting our own way, lusting for what we don't have, but probably also don't need? If you said "yes", you are probably observing some of the same things I am. The problem begins with the "war within" each of us - wanting things we really don't need or things which will eventually be our undoing. Life deals us all kinds of options - learning how to sort through those options is imperative to living well.  Getting so close to the things this world has to offer can actually lead to u...

This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is. (John 3:20-21) A crisis is a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined - some call this a turning point. It can represent a condition of instability or danger, leading to a decisive change - not always for the best. Equally so, it can represent one of those events where there is a lot of dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life - leaving one to sort out the pieces when all is said and done. When a person is not interested in p...

Lord, who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill? He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart... (Psalm 15:1-2) Men and women of understanding know there is a time and place for everything. The events of today prepare us for those of tomorrow. We may not always see clearly today what tomorrow holds, but we do know if we conduct our affairs to the best of our ability today, listening intently to the voice of God as we do, we will be in a better position for what tomorrow brings. Most of us think of living 'uprightly' as being in line with what is right, but it also means being directed vertically. In a spiritual sense, we are to conduct our "business" of today - directed vertically, upward in our focus. The opening statement of this psalm causes us to consider two aspects of our walk - the here and now, and the future state of ou...

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) I know many of us don't feel very 'fortunate' when we are faced with challenges that test our faith or fortitude. In fact, we probably groan a bit and wish the doggone thing would just evaporate before our eyes. We might dig in because we know it isn't going to just go 'poof' and be gone, but then somehow we don't have the fortitude to stick it out. Fortitude is both the mental and physical strength to face the difficulty with courage. If you are like me, getting my mind and body to align is a challenge a great deal of time - I get one motivated and moving, but the other seems to lag behind or go in a totally different direction! Have you ever seen something coming at your head-on? As a teen, I remember a group of boys in the neighborhood playing 'chicken' with their bi...

There is a 'determination' and 'willingness' phase to repentance - but I think we forget about the latter. We get all the determination we can muster, but we sometimes don't do very well in the willingness component because our 'will' is kind of selfish. Some say motivation is based on what we 'want', while determination is based on what we 'need'. For example, I 'need' to lose weight - I don't always 'want' to go to the extremes it takes to get to my desired goal! Motivation doesn't come from without - it is based on wanting something so bad we will do whatever it takes to get it. Determination can be spurred from without, coached to do something we may not have had the know-how to do on our own. We actually need both for repentance to actually 'work' in our lives. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. ( Psalm 51:12 TLB ) Of all the things I can be 'made' t...

Have you ever started watching a movie and not finished it? How about a book? We make all kinds of attempts to get into the show, but find ourselves just not enthralled by the story line. We aren't 'hooked' by it - making it easier to turn it off than something that absolutely catches our attention and holds us enthralled till the end. Beginnings all have one thing in common - it is a start. Endings also have one thing in common - there has been endurance to push past even the hardest places that threatened to keep us from moving on. Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out. (Ecclesiastes 7:8) Our year has flown by at record speed and as many of us sit looking at our "resolutions" made at some point within the year, we find ourselves conducting an inventory of our progress toward goals we had set for ourselves. Some of us will find ourselves having made a good start, but then petering out somewhere along the way! Isn'...

12  I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.   13  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,   14  I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12-14 NLT) It is a well-known fact that an object moves toward where it is pointed or directed. In terms of our lives, it has to do with our "line of sight" - we focus on something and we move toward it - or avoid it all together as something dangerous we should stay away from. Unless we are cliff diving we probably don't move beyond the edge of the cliff - but how many times do we get right up to the edge just to "look over" to see what is there? There are times we allow ...

The Sovereign  Lord  is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.   ( Habakkuk 3:19   NLT ) How "surefooted" are you these days? Mom shared with me last night that she is feeling a little less than steady on her feet these days. It is apparent that she is shuffling her feet a little more and she is definitely not "putting the miles on" her legs like she used to as she ages. It is also apparent to me that these physiologic changes in her body bring with them mental and spiritual changes, as well. Herein is the rub for many of us where it comes to "growing on in years" with Jesus. It isn't that we are engaged in the activities of growing up so much, but that we are "growing on". We find ourselves appreciating or even considering truth in a new way. It is as though things we might have missed while we were doing all that "growing up" somehow makes sense now! A deer is pretty doggone surefo...

What would you say is your "style" of learning?  There are those who would report they learn "best" when they can see something done for them a couple of times and then they "get the hang of it".  Many are quite adept at reading something in a book, such as a recipe or instructions, then replicating what they have read without much effort.  Then there are those who need to hear something described, see it in action, then be guided through step-by-step until they finally get it.  Most of us will say we "fit" into one style or another, but there are times in my life, depending upon the "thing" I need to learn where I need the teaching style to vary a little to accommodate what it is I need to learn.  For example, I would not say math is my strongest suite in life, but I get along pretty well. It took me a little longer to grasp some of the math "concepts" such as exponents and which fraction had to be "inverted" when ...

Okay, occasionally I need a wake-up call, and I know you are probably like that, as well.  We all get to the point sometimes in life when we just are coasting along, finding ourselves with things pretty much going our way, and then all of a sudden we find ourselves smack-dab in the middle of a muddle and we wonder, "How'd this happen?"  Fortunately, those times happen less often for me now than they did when I was a little younger and kind of into doing stuff without thinking about it.  Now that I have a little water under the bridge, I spend a little more time thinking about things before I take the plunge and that has saved me a great deal of hassle and heartache.  One thing I have come to count on as a surety in my life:  God's way is perfect.  Mine may be a little flawed on occasion, but if I will pause long enough to just listen and look for his way, I find it! God’s way is perfect. The Lord’s promise always proves to be true. He protects those wh...

Devotion is one character trait which really cannot be "seen" in the way we dress, what we drive, or the things we amass.  In fact, it is "seen" more in the people we hang around with, the way we spend our time, and the attitude of heart which is exhibited in the actions we take toward others.  If you really stop to consider it, devotion is just a synonym of love.  Devotion is evident in where we find our foundation for life, who it is we emulate in our actions, and what it is we commit to without wavering.  Devotion also determines our delight - there is very little in which we take delight that does not first begin with an appeal to our hearts.  Devotion then is linked with determination - for what we come to value we develop a strong determination to obtain and make out own. But he knows where I am and what I’ve done.   He can cross-examine me all he wants, and I’ll pass the test  with honors.   I’ve followed him closely, my feet in his footp...

Much earlier in this psalm, we find the words, " For   God ’s Word is solid to the core;  everything he makes is sound inside and out."  Those words may not seem like much at first, but when you re-read them a few times, maybe they will begin to sink in.  God's Word is solid!  Nothing can rock its truth.  Most importantly, when his Word is embraced - spoken, heard and acted upon - it has an effect beyond our imagining.  Not to be missed - EVERYTHING God makes is SOUND - inside and out!  Now, if that doesn't rock your world - I don't know what will.  Most of the struggle we face in life is the struggle between knowing right and doing it - we get defeated with the "disconnect" between knowing and doing.  Look at the passage - EVERYTHING (and that also means EVERYONE) is sound - because God's Word brings order, peace and hope!  Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him,   the ones who are looking for his love.   He’...

To "commit" one has to pledge oneself to the task at hand - placing oneself under an obligation to "put up or shut up", so to speak.  At least this is what we primarily think of as "committing" to do something or perform a certain way.  I like the other definition of "commit" which we don't use as often, but which I think captures the meaning as it is laid out in our passage today - to entrust for safekeeping so that one is preserved.  David positions himself into the safekeeping of his Lord and Savior - he doesn't just "promise" to follow God's path as laid out in the word, but he puts himself exactly where he needs to be in order to see the fulfillment of the commitment he has made. By your words I can see where I’m going;   they throw a beam of light on my dark path.   I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back   from living by your righteous order.  (Psalm 119:105-106 MSG) Several key concepts are found in this ...