The Plumbline

There is something special about having a place of sanctuary, isn't there?  When we have a place of retreat, we somehow feel a little better knowing we can go there to recover from the things of our day which only serve to beat us down and make us a little weary.  Another word for sanctuary is refuge or bastion.  The purpose is for our protection - something of a fortress is available for our defense and for our developing a good offense. The way of the  Lord  is a stronghold to those with integrity,  but it destroys the wicked.  (Proverbs 10:29 NLT) God  is solid backing to a well-lived life, but he calls into question a shabby performance.  (Proverbs 10:29 The Message) As I found this scripture this morning, I wanted to bring you both translations because they each explore this idea of "sanctuary" a little differently.  In the New Living Translation, we are told our Lord is a stronghold (sanctuary, bastion) to those wit...

I have a friend who is into running - she does marathons - long ones, at that!  Goodness, running all those miles and doing it over and over again - it just amazes me what some people have the ability to do when they put their minds to it.  Most remarkably, she is a runner with a cause - she runs her marathons in dedication to those children who suffer from leukemia.  Now, we could take a lesson from my friend, couldn't we?  We could learn to "run" instead of being "sedentary" - and we could learn to do it with a purpose instead of haphazardly! I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending f...

Do you remember the saying, "Anything you can do, I can do better"?  It was from a song written by Irving Berlin for a Broadway musical, "Annie, Get Your Gun".  The point of the song was the "pitting" of the male actor against the female actress in constant competition to "one up" the other in increasingly difficult tasks - ranging from safe-cracking to living on meager supplies.  It was comedy at its finest - two sharpshooters challenging each other to hit various targets - trying to prove who really was best.  We are kind of competitive in nature, aren't we?  In fact, I wonder how many times we think we can "out-do" God? God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.  (Ephesians 3:20 The Message) The scripture is quite plain - God can do ANYTHING!  Even more than ...