The Plumbline

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. (Abraham Lincoln) Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live, or chase after phantoms of evil and die. (Proverbs 11:19 MSG) We all stand for something or someone. We choose who or what we will 'stand for' each day. We either choose God, self, or others - our opinion, the opinion of others, or the wisdom of God. The choice is really quite simple to me, but I can struggle with listening too much to either the opinion of others or my own just a bit too frequently. How about you? Do you really choose God's wisdom over human emotion, opinion, or 'trending fad' as frequently as you'd like? Do you sometimes get swayed by media, popular opinion of your acquaintances, or other external source? I have learned to read the reviews for online products because the honesty of some will sway me away from making the purchase, or it will convince me that the product meets the highest standards I desire. When ...

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.  (Leonardo da Vinci) Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. (Proverbs 16:1-3 MSG) Whatever a man pursues with purpose and passion will determine the outcome of that course of action. If the course of action is 'flawed' in any manner, the plan may have been good, but the outcome may not be as planned. The man or woman who desires a 'positive' outcome to life choices must first submit one's life to the leadership of Christ Jesus, then be committed to submitting their choices to him prior to launching out on their journey. The elaborate plans of man to find some 'good' in life are as varied as the sands of the sea. Mankind has always looked for ways to 'do things themselves' but that hasn't always wor...