The Plumbline

When asked what some of my favorite passages are in the Bible, I generally reference the people or writers I connect with for some reason. For me, the Pauline epistles and the Book of Proverbs are probably some of my most 'frequented' reading. I have found much that I connect with when studying the life of David and have learned much about how to connect with the heart of God through simple, honest sharing of my heart as he did. I have to say that the Pauline epistles speak to me about how we should live, treat others, and the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Regardless of where you find your greatest connection in the Word, the most important thing is that the Word is taken in regularly, meditated upon with much thought, and allowed to change you from the inside out. That is what God intended by giving us such a magnificent book - the Bible. This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by ...

 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17) How do we begin to make the most of the opportunities in front of us? It might just begin the moment we take time to think through our decisions. We all make flash decisions, but that should not be our primary way of living. We need the time to bring our day before the Lord and listen to what he says to us. In the church, this is called our quiet time, but in my life, I call it my planning time. Why? It is when I take my day to him, gaining his perspective on what should have priority and what should not. It includes time in his Word and sufficient time to actually think upon it. It involves prayer - discussion with God. Maybe the most important thing is the time I take to listen, so I don't go off my own way and do things without reason or outside of his tim...