The Plumb Line

The LORD changed His mind about this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord GOD. Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The LORD said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.” (Amos 7:7-9)

This passage has strong language and reveals judgment against the disobedient Jewish nation. There are many lessons and rich principles that we can grasp from their mistakes.

However, I want to focus on the plumb line. The Plumb line is a tool that is used to help determine whether something is lined perfectly vertical.

We have all a built-in plumb lines or values shaped by our families, influences, past, and the like. It becomes the mechanism that governs our standards and the way we conduct life. In addition, if were not careful this also becomes the tool we believe others should live by.

In construction, when the plumb line is off, it could have grave repercussions that might require deconstruction, causing you to rework from scratch or simply readjust certain angles to straighten out the work.

What if your personal plumb line is off, what if you woke up one day and realized that you have approached life with a line that wasn’t straight? At that moment, there is a decision to be made. Either live in denial, and continue living a warped life. Alternatively, recognize the beautiful gift of being in Christ the moment you realize you missed the mark, grace is infused into your circumstances. Moreover, the grace was already there patiently waiting.

And the LORD, he it is that does go before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: fear not, neither be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8) – Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-2

Think About This: Once as I rode out into the woods for my health, in 1737, having alighted from my horse in a retired place, as my manner commonly had been to walk for divine contemplation and prayer, I had a view that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of God. As near as I can judge, this continued about an hour; and kept me the greater part of the time in a flood of tears and weeping aloud. I felt an ardency of soul to be what I know not otherwise how to express, emptied and annihilated; to love Him with a pure and holy love; to serve and follow Him; to be perfectly sanctified and made pure with a divine and heavenly purity. Jonathan Edwards

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.” 1 John 3:2 (NLT)