Day Two Hundred Twenty-Four “Plumb Line”
There was a crooked man…He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse; And they all lived together in a crooked little house. That about sums it up for us, except for the fact that we have four crooked cats that we didn’t buy, our fair share of uninvited crooked mice, but we most definitely have a crooked little house. Our small home is a hand-built masterpiece(?), constructed decades ago by someone who obviously never owned a leveling tool. Any attempts at remodeling on our part usually digresses into a day of frustration the minute hubby pulls out the level. Nothing in our little cottage is perfectly straight. Now that does come with some advantages, any counter spills always puddle up in the same corner for easy wipe up and eggs always roll in the same direction!
In Biblical times, a plumb line was the tool used to determine if a surface was straight. Also called a plummet, it consisted of a cord with a non-magnetic weight at one end. When the cord was held in such a way that the weight could dangle freely, an exact vertical could be determined. The term plumb indicates that vertical accuracy has been achieved, forming exact right angles with the horizontal surface, or floor.
“Amos, what seest thou?” was the question posed by God to the humble prophet from Tekoa. Amos replied to the Lord, “A plumbline.” In this prophetic vision, the Lord had “set a plumbline in the midst of” the people of Israel for a specific purpose. God was going to measure the sins of Israel against the plumb line of His holiness and righteousness. God would set the standard through the moral code of His Word, not the standards set by the whims of Israel’s opulent, prosperous culture. The children of God were choking on luxury, lying on “bed of ivory.” They were drinking wine “in bowls,” those enormous vessels used for sacrificial purposes, for ordinary cups could not satisfy this gluttonous, overindulgent people. But this great financial prosperity came at a time of exploitation and oppression of the poor, weak, and most vulnerable. Israel had become owned by its possessions and materialistic lifestyle, callous to the needs of others, forgetting that all they had was given by God’s hand, not their own. And God was not pleased; His judgment was about to fall.
Times of prosperity and ease can be dangerous times if we become complacent and forget that our possessions are not owned by us, but on loan to us from God. We are merely the stewards. God’s plumb line of thankfulness, generosity, compassion, and benevolence is not to be taken lightly. Don’t fall into the cultural trap of enjoying things more than enjoying God, basking in a time of ease while we overlook the needs of others. Let’s not become complacent while wallowing the vast depth of blessings bestowed on us by our Father, but instead, allow our generosity and compassion to bloom, mirroring the gracious, giving heart of our Lord.
I Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Lord, in times of blessings we tend to sometimes become complacent and cold to the needs of others. Help me to always remember that YOU are the source of those blessing, I am merely the steward.
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