The Plumbline

Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone, rolls virtue around on his tongue. His heart pumps God’s Word like blood through his veins; his feet are as sure as a cat’s…. Wait passionately for GOD, don’t leave the path . He’ll give you your place in the sun while you watch the wicked lose it. (Psalm 37:30-31, 34) It is very possible to have passion without having a purpose for whatever it is we are doing or pursuing. It is equally possible to have a purpose without the corresponding passion. I think these are two pretty important things to consider today – since these traits are often missing for those folks who just aren’t sure about what life has for them. Passion is any compelling or powerful emotion – it is really what we refer to as a desire. It is an EMOTION. How many times have we each heard we should not rely upon our emotions to be the driving force for the things we say and do in life? If you are like me, it has probably come up a few times every month or so! Purpose is t...

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life , a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (I Peter 1:13-16) Many of us think of obedience as some sort of subservient submissiveness to the will of another without any ability on our part to do something otherwise. God's definition of obedience - the stuff within us that has no ability to do anything other than be obedient to his will for our lives. We know this is not the case for most of us - we struggle with obedience, don't we? We don't just get up one morning, determined to be obedient and then never turn back. In fact, truth be told, we find ourselves looking back a little too frequentl...