The Plumbline

We may think we have good friends, but in the midst of crisis, friendship is tested.  Those who come out on top are those who actually stick with you when all the blessings appear to be gone.  A man or woman of integrity has this unique way of being sensitive to the needs around them.  They are moved into action to meet those needs, no matter how small they may seem.  Even the smallest need met in the roughest of times for a friend can make the difference between going under, or rising above the circumstances.  As we have been studying throughout the past month or so, a man or woman of integrity actually lives in such a way so as to avoid the planning and action of evil.  God's unfailing love and his faithfulness surrounds those who will choose to align their priorities with his, remaining open and sensitive to the needs which are all around them. Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security.   Reve...

Each heart knows its own bitterness.  We pretty much bear our bitterness alone - although others may step in to attempt to help us bear it, it is primarily something we bear alone.  We can experience great joy, but no one can fully experience it the same as we do.  Each of these emotions are really something others attempt to share with us and we with them, but in essence, the joy or bitterness of another is something we can never truthfully fully comprehend and experience in the same manner as the one originally experiencing it.   Only the person involved can know his own bitterness or joy—no one else can really share it.     Laughter cannot mask a heavy heart. When the laughter ends, the grief remains.   Only a simpleton believes everything he’s told! A prudent man understands the need for proof.   A wise man is cautious and avoids danger; a fool plunges ahead with great confidence.   A short-tempered man is a fool. He hates the man wh...