Plumb Line

How do you determine if a wall is straight? How do you ensure a wall is straight as you build it? Have you heard of a plumb line? Have you used a plumb line? Do you know that a plumb line is a taught string between two points? Why would God reference a plumb line?

Using a plumb line and being very precise when laying the foundation and putting in wall studs, you can build a straight wall. Straight walls can be very important when building a house, but even more important when building a storehouse in which you will be putting shelving units.

But what is meant when God uses a plumb line? He is talking about determining if people are following his commands. He has given his commands to us for our own good. We must remember that God does not need his commands. He is perfect. He does not need instruction.

Because God loves us, he gives us commands to live by. He gives us instruction, guidance, and principles to live by. When being obedient to him, we please him and live the best life we can. Now, we know that being human includes being fallible. We will make mistakes. We will not obey God every moment of every day. Yet, God is willing to forgive us.

However, God does not have infinite patience. Or, God chooses not to have infinite patience. At some point, God’s patience comes to an end—and end of his choosing. At that point, he passes judgment on his people. We might say God’s plumb line is the line in the sand. When we have crossed it, we can count on God taking action.

I pray we all know that God chooses when his patience has run out. I pray we choose to obey God’s commands. I pray each one of us follow God’s guidance so that we will live our best life. God’s patience has an end. Choose to obey. Follow God’s guidance. Live your best life.

Amos 7:7-8 This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.”

Boast In Hope

How do you view hope? What is your perspective of hope? Do you view hope as nothing more than a wish? Do you treat it as wishful thinking? Is your hope more than that? Is it a trust in a promise that you believe will come true?

Many people use hope to mean wish. They hope for a new car. They hope for a better job. They hope for ice cream at the carnival. They hope their favorite team will win. All of these are more like wishing than hoping as the writers of the New Testament define hope.

If our hope in God’s promises is nothing more than wishing for something we are unsure will happen, we are in a sad state. If that is the case, we need to reevaluate our faith. For the faith that Jesus and the apostles spoke of is nothing like wishful thinking. It is a hope that trusts God to fulfill his promises.

How do we gain that hope? First and foremost, we need to read the Bible with a new set of eyes. We need to leave behind our perceptions. We need to ask God to open our minds and teach us the true meaning of his Word.

Next, we need to experience God’s promises. We need to step out in faith and trust God to provide. As we do and we experience him providing, our faith will increase, and our hope will be stronger. We will begin to step out in faith more often and bolder. When we do, God will smile with joy at our trust in him.

I pray we all give up our wishful thinking regarding God’s promises. I pray we trust that he will fulfill his promises. I pray each one of us will step out in faith to experience God. Give up wishful thinking. Trust in God’s promises. Step out in faith. Experience God. Boast in your hope in God.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

Sound the Alarm

Are you involved in your community? Do you know your neighbors? Is your town or city a place where believers in Jesus are welcomed? Why is it important? Do you think it is important? What happens to the town that doesn’t welcome God into it?

Jesus sent seventy-two people out in pairs to the many towns He intended to visit. He told them to stay and eat in the same house. In other words, don’t be jumping from one place to another looking for the best host. Be content with where you initially chose to stay.

He also tells them to be perceptive and discerning. If they go into a town who will not welcome them and thereby not welcome Jesus, there were to curse the town. Now, you may think that is not what Jesus said. But the euphemism He uses means exactly that.

But they were also to give them a warning that the kingdom of God has come near. This was the same as saying the Messiah has arrived. It was saying to them that they better get their act together and make a much better decision than they had just made. It was the promise that judgment was coming.

The same message is true for us today. It is important for our towns and cities to accept Jesus. It is important for us to remind them that judgment is coming. We do not know when, but we can rest assured it is coming. Just as the messengers Jesus sent out warned the people they encountered; we need to warn the people we encounter. It is important for the message of Jesus to be spread throughout our communities.

I pray we all heed the warning of Jesus. I pray we realize it is important that our communities accept Jesus. I pray each one of us will spread the news of Jesus and the approaching judgment. Heed Jesus’ warning. Know it is important for our towns and cities to accept Jesus. Spread the gospel. Give the warning alarm.

Luke 10:10-12 “But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”

Messengers Needed

Have you ever been sent to deliver a message to someone? Have you had to deliver a message to a crowd of strangers that may or may not be received well? If you have, how comfortable were you doing so? If not, how do you think you would feel about doing so?

Being the messenger can be difficult. So difficult that we even preface our statement with, “Don’t shoot the messenger.” It can be even more difficult if we are presenting a message to a crowd of people we don’t know while not knowing if they will receive it well.

Jesus sent out seventy-two of His followers in pairs to tell people in towns He was going to visit about Him. Now, it would be easy to tell them there was a miracle worker coming who could heal all their sick. But telling them that He was going to preach to them about a new way of living that did not include the old Jewish laws would be a different story.

Yet, they went on their way. They carried the message Jesus told them to carry. So, why did Jesus send them out? He said, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Jesus used those He had to start sending the message out. He didn’t ask. He said, “Go” and they went. He also told them to pray that God would send more laborers. I’m sure they prayed quite a lot about along their way.

We need to pray that God will send more laborers into the field today. Why? First, our world needs to hear the gospel message, accept it, and choose to follow Jesus. Second, we do not have near enough pastors, preachers, or priests. There are churches who have no pastor. There are communities with no church. We need more laborers who are willing to go into the harvest and speak the gospel message.

I pray we all ask God to send more laborers into the harvest. I pray we prayerfully consider whether we might answer that call. I pray each one of us will tell someone else about Jesus. Ask God to send laborers. Consider being a laborer yourself. Tell others about Jesus.

Luke 10:1-2 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Do the Right Thing

Do you believe in doing the right thing? How do you know what the right thing is? What is your guideline? How do you determine what the right thing to do is in all aspects of your life? What is your decision process for determining to give financially? Does it lead you to do the right thing?

Most of us want to do the right thing, at least in certain parts of our lives. We may want to do the right thing in all of aspects, but some are a higher priority than others. Often, our top priority for our finances is to take care of our family, and rightfully so.

Yet, our culture has conditioned us to provide for a lot of wants for our family, rather than just providing for needs. We may plan for large purchases but make spurious spending choices on other things. These choices can impact our ability to do the right thing. What is the right thing? Blessing others with the resources God has blessed us with.

In Galatians 6:7, the Apostle Paul states that we reap what we sow. When we look at the meaning of the original Greek, he is speaking of financial investment. As we read verses 7-10, he emphasizes we are to support those who are struggling financially to the best of our ability. This doesn’t mean to give our money to those who refuse to work, for Paul says not to support them in 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Doing the right thing is helping those who are working and still struggling. We are to provide financial assistance by sharing the blessings God has blesses us with. Many of us live rather comfortably, not having to worry about paying our bills nor whether we will have something to eat. When Paul says we reap what we sow, he also points to God providing for us as we share his blessings with others.

I pray we all know we are to share God’s blessings with others. I pray we are good stewards with God’s blessings. I pray each one of us will choose to do the right thing and support those in need. Share your blessings with others. Be a good steward. Support those in need. Do the right thing.

Galatians 6:9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.

Sharing Burdens

What is your immediate reaction when you see or hear of someone caught in some type of infraction? Do you immediately want to condemn them? Does your heart break for those who were the targets of the offense? Do you feel a desire to reconcile the offender?

When we see or hear of someone committing an offense against another, our typical reaction is one of shock followed quickly by anger. Our culture demands immediate justice and retribution. Our efforts are focused on helping the victim of the offense.

Unfortunately, that leaves the offender untended to, other than being prosecuted. Rare is it that reconciliation is sought and offered. Rare do we think about the separation and loneliness of the offender. Rare is it the offender is approached in a compassionate, humble way to offer both correction and a loving embrace.

This is not only true in our national culture but in our churches as well. We fail to demonstrate the love of Christ by correcting the individual in a humble manner and offering His love to them. This is not to say we should ignore the victim. Not in the least. However, we are instructed to ensure we bring the offender back into the fold. Yes, there may be a price for them to pay. But that does not negate our responsibility to reach out to them.

Not only are we to reach out to them but the Apostle Paul tells us to share in their burdens. We are to share them by seeking to understand why and help them to correct their behavior. We are to do this with humility because we could be the next person who needs loving correction and to share our burden with others. Satan tempts us all. Any one of us could fall prey to his temptations. We should not condemn lest we be condemned.

I pray we all choose to approach a transgressor with humility and love. I pray we choose to help share their burden. I pray each one of us realize we can, too, can fall prey to Satan’s temptations. Be humble. Correct the transgressor with love. Share one another’s burdens.

Galatians 6:1-2 My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Nothing Lasts Forever

Have you heard the saying, ‘Nothing lasts forever’? Have you said it yourself? Do you believe it? We may say it and believe it. Yet, we do not always want it to be true. There are moments we wish would last forever. However, the saying is true as long as we live on this earth.

On the other hand, there are times we are glad the saying is true. There are times we want to end as soon as possible. These are usually times when something has gone wrong or something bad is happening. During those times, we are glad this saying is true.

David writes about it in his thirtieth Psalm. He speaks to praising God by singing praises. He speaks of giving thanks to God. Though we may experience some bad times, the good times will come, for God will not leave us in that situation. Even if God is angry at us for our disobedience, he still loves us and will bless us when we repent.

What is the underlying theme of David’s Psalm? Faith. Our faith tells us that God is in control. It tells us that God is at work in all situations, even those that are bad. He is working for our good. No, God doesn’t purposely put us in bad situations. Some of them are caused by our choices. Some are accidents. Some caused by other’s choices. Some we will never know why. But we can be assured God is working in the midst of them. We can remember and recite what David has written and trust his words are true.

I pray we all know that nothing lasts forever. I pray we trust that God is at work for our good. I pray each one of us strengthen our faith so that we believe God is always with us. Praise God in song. Thank God for his many blessings. Know that nothing lasts forever. Put your faith in God.

Psalm 30:4-5

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, 

and give thanks to his holy name. 

For his anger is but for a moment; 

his favor is for a lifetime. 

Weeping may linger for the night, 

but joy comes with the morning.

Pause to Think

Have you ever gotten upset at someone for telling you something you did not expect? Did you react with shock or negatively? After your initial reaction, did you decide you should listen and digest what you were told? Did find that they had told you the truth?

Receiving unexpected news or instruction can throw us off balance. We can react in unexpected ways. We may be in disbelief. We may be angry. We may want to completely disregard what they told us. Yet, there may be a nagging feeling deep inside that they may be right.

Naaman found himself is just such a situation. He was sent to Elisha to be healed of a skin disease. Naaman was an important man, a commander of the army of the king of Aram. As a high ranking official, he thought he would be treated with deference. He thought Elisha would come out to meet him. He thought Elisha would give him some challenging thing to do to be healed.

When Elisha merely sent a messenger to tell him to go wash himself in the Jordan river seven times, Naaman felt disrespected. He felt that Elisha had shunned him. He was upset. He thought Elisha might be a fraud. It was good for Naaman that one of his servants talked to him and got him to do what Elisha told him to do. Naaman was healed.

There are times we are told things we don’t want to believe. Rather than immediately disbelieving, we would be better served to take a little time to think about what we’ve been told. We just might discover that what we were told is for our best interest. Perhaps it is God’s way of working through someone else for our good.

I pray we all seek to listen for God speaking to us. I pray we evaluate our initial reaction. I pray each one of us will take time to think and ask God to reveal to us the truth of his message. Listen for God. Evaluation your reactions. Take time to think. Ask God to reveal his truth to you.

2 Kings 5:10-11 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease!”

Cost of Business

Have you heard about the cost of business? Have you heard it takes money to make money? Have you heard nothing is free? Have you heard there is no such thing as a free lunch? Have you heard about the cost to follow Jesus?

There is a cost to everything, even if it is only our time. Yet, our time is extremely valuable. Especially in this fast-paced world we live in. We pay the price for all of it, whether we think we do or not. In most cases, we do so willingly.

But are we willing to pay the cost to follow Jesus? In the last few verses of Luk 9, Jesus gives us clues to what the cost of following Him is. We may have nowhere to lay our heads down for some much needed rest. We are to leave the dead behind. We are to follow Him and never look back.

Though some of this may seem harsh, when we take a closer look at them, they make sense. When we are on a mission, we are often away from our own beds. We are away from home. We are in strange places. And sometimes we work around the clock.

Leaving the dead may seem uncaring. Yet, Jesus is talking about those who will never accept Him. We are not to waste our time on them. We are to continue to move into the future with Him as our focus. That means leaving behind our old selves. We are to step out in faith with a focus on obeying Him and trusting in His promises. That means shedding our sinful ways and becoming who He wants us to be.

I pray we all count the cost for following Jesus. I pray we trust in Jesus’ promises and obey Him. I pray each one of us will choose to follow Jesus, moving into the future with Him as our focus. Count the cost. Trust Jesus’ promises. Follow Jesus. Focus on Him. Let Him be your future.

Luke 9:61-62 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Fruit of the Spirit

Do you like to think you are in control? Do you think you can control yourself? How patient are you? Do you consider yourself to be a generous person? Are you a kind person? Do you have joy in your life? Are you a loving person? Are you gentle? How faithful are you?

Most of us either think or want to think we are in control. We may even like to think we have self-control, but don’t put a plate of our favorite cookies in front of us. Our self-control and our patience can quickly fly right out the door. We can quickly fail the test for both.

When we look at the list of the fruits of the Spirit closely, we may find ourselves weaving in and out of them. We may be experiencing one or more of those fruits for a while, then we slide out of them. But how much of that is due to our own efforts and how much is fruit coming from walking with and following the lead of the Holy Spirit?

For many, they attempt to fulfill this list on their own. We try really hard to be kind and gentle. We try to maintain self-control. We love some and not others while telling ourselves we need to love everyone, but not making much progress on it. We tell ourselves to be patient, but it wears thin quickly when someone cuts us off in traffic.

What we need to do is stop trying to do it on our own. There is a reason this list is called the fruit of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit lives in us and we submit to him, these things come about naturally. In fact, they come about abundantly, and we are set apart, seen by others as being different than anyone else they know. So, stop trying to do it yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.

I pray we all stop trying to exercise the fruits of the Spirit on our own. I pray we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. I pray each one of us lives the abundant life Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit. Quit doing it on your own. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. Live the abundant life.

Galatians 5:22-23 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.