Where we draw the line…

While rumor has it that our state is in a bit of financial distress, road repair and other maintenance work is booming all over our town. There is not a path I take each day that doesn’t sport orange cones and flashing arrows alerting me to slow down, merge or just come to a complete halt.

The entire east bound side of one of the major arteries I use to get home was completely closed for several days as workers erected fancy new utility poles with ominous looking bases and plenty of complicated wiring.

Large equipment vehicles with all manner of gadgets worked for several days as I would drive out in the west bound lane in the morning hoping to remember I would need to find an alternate route home later in the day.

The equipment and technology in use were quite impressive.

But as the work seemed to be coming to completion, one morning I noticed a man in a neon yellow vest standing on the concrete median at one of the intersections.

He was holding a silver cord at arms length in front of his eyes. A weight at the bottom slowly swung into place while he viewed it against the utility pole that was being centered on the other side of the street.

A plumb line.

Good grief.

Even I know how to operate one of those.

My dad had one.

With all the smart stuff out there, they were using this old fashioned thing out of some archaic tool box????

So I googled it.

While plumb lines have been in use since ancient times, and were used to build even the pyramids, they are still very much in use today.

And they haven’t changed one bit in principle.

A string with a weight at the bottom that must comply with the law of gravity assures pinpoint accuracy of a straight line.

Whether you’re building a pyramid or a skyscraper…

Our church, along with 23 others in the area, are nearing the end of the Room for Doubt series.

It has been interesting to hear the sermons and read the material.

And it has been challenging to teach and lead discussions each week on various key areas where people tend to have questions regarding Christianity.

I found the information regarding the validity and credibility of Scripture to be the most helpful and encouraging.

People groups, cultures, generations…these change and fluctuate.

Truth does not change.

Truth is relevant and applicable in all cultures, people groups and generations.

And Truth is found in the plumb line of God’s Word to us.

In Isaiah 28, God speaks of a plumb line…His plumb line…justice and righteousness.

His justice and His righteousness are our plumb line to help us decide if something is crooked or straight. And His justice and righteousness are recorded in His Word.

So are we holding the plumb line of God’s Word up against our questions and doubts…or have we turned it around and begun to use our questions and doubts as the plumb line for God’s Word?

Don’t be fooled.

Anything less than His standard is going to throw you off balance….no doubt about it.

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