The Plumbline

Many of us expect God to "appear" one way (the way we imagine in our minds), but is the way we 'expect' he will appear in our lives accurate? Do we expect him to "perform" in a certain manner (with the plans we have so carefully calculated), but then get disillusioned when he seems to perform a different way? When he doesn't "appear" or "perform" as we imagined, how do we handle it? For some of us, we get mad at God for a while and go silent on him - because he did not "fit" our "mold" of how he should act. The Jewish religious leaders of Christ's time probably had this same kind of "mental argument" with Jesus as he walked this earth - simply because he didn't "fit the mold" of how they envisioned the arrival or actions of their Messiah! They missed out on so much of what Jesus wanted to do in and through them simply because they refused to believe Jesus could "operate" o...

When I seemed to loggy-gag along, not really paying much attention when I'd hear dinner was ready, or some such thing, my brother used to say was "Do you need a personal invitation?" The truth of the matter was that "yes" sometimes I did! There are many forms of invitations - both spoken and written. There are even "unspoken" invitations - simply expressed by a simple gesture, a simple look, or a nod of the head. When my grandsons were younger, my daughter would plan for their annual birthday bash about six or eight months in advance of his birthday! She'd pick a theme, begin to pick up things throughout the year, all the while working out a "theme" for the party. She is much more creative than I am - making absolutely beautiful decorations, cleverly displayed snack items, and treasures for each child who would be in attendance. It amazed me how she prepared. One of the "tasks" was the custom invitations she prepared. Yep,...

Are there times when you feel like someone has you right where they want you? You are probably not being paranoid! In fact, scripture declares God has us right where he wants us - in the place where he is free to shower grace and kindness upon our lives. If you stop to consider the potential in those words you might just stand in awe and wonder how a great big God could care enough about one small human in the scheme of millions upon millions upon millions of humans. You might not fully comprehend the depth of his love, or how far it will go to see a life touched just as it needs to be touched, but that doesn't keep him from showering grace and kindness in immeasurable amounts day after day in your life! Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the m...