The Plumbline

Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. (Psalm 119:165 NLT) God's commandments are burdensome and 'too rigid' for those who have never placed their trust in them. The more we discover the truths in his Word, the more we realize there is a great deal of safety and security in following his instructions. Yet, we sometimes don't do a very good job following those commands, right? What happens when we choose to ignore one or more of his commands? Do we face his condemnation? If we try to rationalize our disobedience, we may actually experience the consequences of that disobedience, but even that is not his condemnation. The more we discover about God through his Word, the more we realize that our failure at obedience is not the end - there is grace available to those who seek it. It would be much better if we never stumbled, right? It is pretty unrealistic to think we will believe everything God says the first time we are exposed to his trut...

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. (Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG) What do we trust without even thinking about it? We get in our cars and hit the ignition button, just trusting it will turn over and we will be on our way without delay. When the car battery is rundown, corrosion amassed on the connections, or simply just too old to work any longer, will we be on our way? Nope - we will need a jump, recharge, or a new battery! What we 'counted on' failed us. When we count on stuff, people, or events to be or go as they should, we might just find we are disappointed from time to time. When we count on God to be who he always is, we will never be disappointed. If you have ever been in a muddle or quandary about a situation, you probably have done some of the common things we all do. You utilize a 'plus/minus' list of the var...