The Plumbline

You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You, for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You. So trust in the Eternal One forever, for He is like a great Rock—strong, stable, trustworthy, and lasting. (Isaiah 26:3-4 VOICE) Anyone other than me really wanting "perfect peace" in their lives? As our world goes through transition after transition and things seem to be getting worse instead of better, sometimes I just want to call for a "do-over". Yes, I have internal peace, but all around me there seems to be chaos and a little bit too much harshness - certainly nothing I could even think was peaceful in the lives for so many around me. Why? We have a whole lot of hearts and minds still bent on pleasing self, finding their way through life thinking the world owes them something, or that they can manipulate things to happen so as to get what they want in the circumstance. They push, pull, criticize, strategize, and take calculated steps they ...

If you are thirsty, come here;  come, there’s water  for all .   Whoever is  poor and  penniless can still  come and buy  the food I sell .  There’s no cost—here, have some food,  hearty and delicious,  and beverages,  pure and good .   I don’t understand why you spend your money for things that don’t nourish  or work so hard for what leaves you empty.   Attend to Me and eat what is good;  enjoy the richest,  most delectable  of things.  (Isaiah 55:1-2 VOICE) It is a good question - why do we seek things with a huge price tag - things which promise to satisfy our "every need" - but leave us feeling totally dissatisfied and without any real sense of fulfillment? I saw a post this last week on my media feed that said something along the line of obedience and your faith being the only real two things you need to enjoy real and lasting rest in your life. I think that is amazingly true! When I am obed...

Look on me with a heart of mercy, O God, according to Your generous love.  According to Your great compassion, wipe out every consequence of my shameful crimes.  Thoroughly wash me, inside and out, of all my crooked deeds. Cleanse me from my sins.  For I am fully aware of all I have done wrong, and my guilt is there, staring me in the face. (Psalm 51:1-3 VOICE) Singer and song writer Natalie Grant has a new song out entitled "Clean".  One word which implies so very much - each of us realizing just how much being "clean" can be so dramatically different for each one.  There are just a couple of lines in this song which continually catch my attention whenever I get to hear it.  They are:   " There's nothing too dirty that you can't make worthy. You wash me in mercy...I am clean ." Ponder those words just a few minutes, will you? There is something powerful in Natalie's message - and I daresay, there is something powerful which has...