 A few people have asked why I chose such a strange name for my blog. After all, a plumb line is a carpenter's tool, a simple weight attached to a line for determining the exactness of a vertical line. But, isn't that what it's all about? Aren't we supposed to align our lives to a perfectly vertical line? Of course, His name is Yeshua, the Perfect Son of God, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth.
Yeshua lived a perfect, sinless life. He victoriously endured unbelievable persecution and temptation in order that His perfect, sinless life could be the Plumb Line for everyone. Yeshua ... our Plumb Line.
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Since Yeshua is now seated at the right hand of the Father, He made sure we weren't left without a written record of His life and character, His sufferings and victories, His rejection and triumph, all of which is recorded in one Book for us to use in His physical absence as an example for our lives.
In order to align our lives to the example of Yeshua, we must be willing to believe the Word of God is divinely inspired, infallible, and truth. No other book ever written or published can make those claims ... NO other book. The Bible is complete and needs no additional revelation by man or woman to enhance it or complete it.
The Plumb Line is my attempt to keep my heart and life aligned to the Word of God. I invite you to join me on this journey of transformation for His glory!
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Nov
19
Written by:
Jan Ross
11/19/2008 12:39 AM
“Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:6-7)
Doesn’t this sound familiar? It could have been written today rather than hundreds of years before the advent of Christ.
We are never satisfied. We’re more concerned about tangible riches than we are about spiritual riches. We’ve forgotten what Matthew 6:33 means when it says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We see the “all these things shall be added unto you” but we neglect the first part “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”.
The words of the prophet exposed a problem—the people worked hard and spared no effort to insure prosperity. But, their yield was more than disappointing. They had clothing, but no amount of clothing they owned could keep them warm. In fact, nothing seemed to be sufficient to them – food, drink, or clothing. They had money but it fell through their hands like holes in their bags. Why? God was forgotten and when God is forgotten, all is futile, without profit, and in vain.
The prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:40, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” This prophet’s cry still resonates throughout the earth, calling us to search our hearts AND our ways. Our hearts cannot be pure unless our ways are parallel to the passion of our heart.
Proverbs 4:26-27 says, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”
When the prophet said, “Consider your ways”, he was speaking to each one of us. Do our “ways” cause us to toil without profit, to gain wealth and have nothing to show for it, to have closets of clothes and yet remain cold? If so, we must heed the word of the Lord through His prophet, “Consider your ways!” We can’t blame it on anyone or anything other than ourselves – we’re responsible to consider our ways and to remove ourselves from evil.
If we aren’t careful to follow the words of the Lord found in Matthew 6:33, when we find we have holes in our bag and dissatisfaction with everything we work for, we too will hear the voice of the prophet saying, “Consider your ways”.
Father, I hear the voice of the prophet echoing in my heart even right now. I work hard and in many instances I am not yet satisfied. I have much and yet I want more. In many areas I am discontent with what I have, Lord, and I need Your forgiveness. Father, help me to take some time today to consider my ways, to bind up the holes in my bag by seeking You first and finding contentment and satisfaction with all that You have done for me and in me. Father, forgive me and teach me to seek You first (and the kingdom) and then I will be content with whatever You give me, with little or much, with lack or abundance, but most importantly, with You. Help me to search and try my ways and turn again to You in all things! In Jesus’ precious name, amen and amen.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved
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