Thursday, May 5, 2016

THE PLUMB LINE

In Amos 7:7-9, we read: “Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made 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.’ Then the Lord said: ‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.’”

“Can I help, Daddy?” the little fellow asked.

“Yes,” his father answered. “But you have to do as I say.”

“Why?” he asked. His daddy looked at him.

“I know the plans for this shed. If we follow the plans, it will last a long time.” He explained about the foundation, the wall and the plumb line.

“A plumb line? Like the plums we picked for Mama? For the pie she’s baking?”

He looked at his son. Innocent, loving, curious. “No. This is a different kind of plumb. This plumb shows me if the walls are crooked.” He took the plumb line with the weight on one end and showed his son how it worked. “If it remains straight from top to bottom, the wall is straight. We don’t want the walls to fall.

"We built a sand castle last year at the beach. We took sand, packed it together to make our castle walls. Remember what happened?”

His son nodded. “It fell down. The waves washed it away.”

“Exactly. We want our shed to stand. We'll store our lawnmower and other garden tools in it.” His son nodded. “You know, son, God has a plumb line.” He stared at his dad.

"The Bible tells us about God’s plumb line. He gave us His law to show when we weren't in plumb. He sent the prophets to tell us about His love. We still made crooked walls of our lives.” The boy tilted his head, his eyes questioning.

"So in an outpouring of His love, the Lord Jesus came and gave His life as a sacrifice so we could live. He is the only one that could live a 'plumbed life'”

The Lord put a plumb line for me to see. He gave the law and the prophets but I couldn't keep the law. I couldn’t love enough. In His great Love for me, the Lord Jesus came and showed me the plumb line of Life. The old rugged cross. He died there for me. He rose from the dead for me. He ascended into heaven for me. He lives today in and through me. He promises never to leave nor forsake me. How humbling. How wonderful. How marvelous.

Kingdom Thinking. The Lord Jesus offers the same to you. A new life in Him. He loves you and has promised never to leave nor forsake you. Won't you come to Him?