The Plumbline

God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I’m set for life. (Psalm 62:1 MSG) Waiting doesn't come easy for some of us. To those of you who are waiting, perhaps for a lot longer than you might have imagined you'd wait, let me say this - God isn't finished yet, so hold on! There are times when God says it is going to take some time for the fulfillment of your prayers. We don't want to hear those words because we know something else has to occur BEFORE then. It is the 'in between' that we dread the most, isn't it? We don't like the 'what else needs to occur' phase, do we? The 'what else' could be the readying of our heart to receive the answer God will bring. It could be he needs to see another's heart be made ready. Readiness comes in stages - it doesn't always happen just because we want it to....

Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. (Proverbs 19:20-21 MSG) We have to take counsel. We must accept correction. Counsel is often sought. Correction is frequently not sought but is much needed. Both play a very important part in helping us grow up, become mature in our faith, and stay on course. Wisdom isn't just a thing for the aged - it is found by those who know the value of both good counsel and thoughtful correction. Advice can be good or bad; thoughtful or spur of the moment. We might seek the advice of an 'expert' if we want to install a ceiling fan where one does not exist - the electrician knowing how and where to provide the needed electrical connections. We might give into the 'advice' of social media 'counsel' that advises us to buy this or that 'next great thing' because we know we don't have that item yet and ...