A Word from Pastor Stephen – April 25, 2020

“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 never again pass by them.’” (Amos 7:8 NIV)

A plumb line is a string with a weight at the bottom, used by builders to make sure walls are vertically straight, or that a structure is centered. It is to ensure that everything is right, justified and centered. The plumb line is still a wonderful analogy for us as we consider our relationship with God.

The people in the time of Amos were failing to live by the standards God had set for justice and righteousness. They were moving in the wrong direction. Amos was proclaiming judgment upon the people, but he was also pleading with God to yield his judgment. So God places a plumb line in the midst of the people.

What is the plumb line God has placed in our lives? How do we know how to align our lives with the purpose God has for us individually and as a church? Jesus set a plumb line for us in the Gospel of Matthew. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Mt. 25:35-36 NIV) Amen.