The Plumbline

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT) I have heard it said that "if you don't change direction, you may end up where you are headed." (Lao Tzu) The direction one assumes is the direction one will head. It is a mystery to me why some bemoan the outcome they get when they were headed in that direction all the time. It isn't that they didn't take notice of their course. They just didn't seem to change direction when they realized they weren't on the right course! If we were to be honest here, we have all chosen a wrong direction or two in life, not heeding the warnings along the way, depending more on our 'understanding' than seeking God's wisdom. The determination of course was entirely ours. The outcome produced wasn't great. The moments getting from here to there were riddled with issues. Yet we chose to '...

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Romans 8:35,37 NLT) I have run across individuals who actually believe troubles in their lives mean they have done something wrong or have abandoned their faith. Troubles are part of life. Calamity comes when we least expect it and usually from sources we have absolutely no control over. Danger surrounds us every day, even when we aren't aware of it. These things don't mean we are doing something wrong. It could actually mean we are doing something right! Satan isn't going to be very pleased when we press into our relationship with Jesus. In fact, he will take notice of us drawing closer to God quicker than he will notice those who only warm the pews on Sundays. He isn't threatened by the 'pew warmers' but he is threatened by those who are praying for things in h...