Amos 7:7-9
‘So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. And 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 not spare them any longer.”‘
This is a very interesting passage. God is displeased with His people. So, He proposes pausing life and putting them to the test. It’s like He is doing a miniature judgment day. Not the time of reward or punishment, but applying His standard to their lives.
The plumb line is a tool which determines if a wall is straight, vertically so. A crooked wall looks strange and could be in danger of falling. It involves a string and a weight. The customer could demand it be torn down and built again.
In one sense this is merciful. If we were going down the wrong road and told in a diagnostic way about it, we may repent and go the right way. Some wouldn’t change, but some would. The ones who changed would could be saved.
How do we measure up to God’s standard? We should all ask that of ourselves. We shouldn’t wait until the end of our lives. That is better than nothing. Some never ask that of themselves.
There are three enemies of God, the world, the flesh and the devil. All seek to distort Him and His ways. Our world has drifted so far from God that many don’t know how far off they have gone. We all could use His plumb line.
Do we know what His plumb line is? It’s His Word, the bible. We should know it. The bible is many things. It’s life giving. John 6:63 says, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” God’s Word gives guidance. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” It’s principles offer guidance. Another way that it guides is that it tells us to ask God for it.
It’s better for us to seek God and His ways than to be surprised that we are far off. Some find that when it’s too late. That usually means upon death. We can seek God by reading His Word. He will bring things to our attention. We can pray and ask. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” He wants to be found. He loves us and wants to connect with us. This verse has conditions. We have to be sincere. That means we are willing to change. We often hear that people are seekers. But unless they are open to God and His ways, they will not find Him.
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Help us to be open to it.