The Plumbline

Astonishment is a state of amazement, surprise, and overpowering wonder. If you have ever been astonished at the ways another acts when they don't seem to be concerned that anyone is watching them, or perhaps the totally selfless giving of another, you probably have experienced this sense of amazement or wonder on occasion.  Some ways we might experience such astonishment are when a newborn is brought into the world, the unexpected bonus is placed in our paycheck, or the small child takes his first steps.  What it does to us inside is often expressed on the outside.  We begin to emanate a kind of cheerfulness and glee.  There might be a moment of stilled awe, but eventually the emotions begin to bubble forth and the ability to contain our "awe" is no longer possible - it spills forth.  God has a way of bringing about such awe within us - delighting our soul, raising out spirit, and filling our thoughts with all types of wonder and awe. God can pour on the b...

Distress is any great pain or sorrow which weighs us down and almost keeps us from moving as we should.  It could be some element of physical suffering, or some mental anguish.  Some call it "trouble", while others use a more sophisticated term like "affliction" or "tribulation".  Either way, it is junk we don't want to have to deal with, but somehow it always manages to find us. In wartime movies, you might see a plane billowing black smoke, pilot frantically attempting to send out a distress call indicating his location as he plummets to the earth.  The call is something of a plea for someone to notice he is "going down" in hopes he might be rescued at some point if he survives this horrific event.  I think there are times we view distress almost in a similar way - as if we were "going down" - so we cry out, hoping someone, anyone will notice us and come to our rescue.    Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us aro...