The Plumb Line

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

Psalm 99:5

In the days before HGTV revealed the intricacies of home decorating, I naively decided to redo the wallpaper in our bathroom myself. Why hire a professional when I could do it, right? Little did I know how tricky it would be to remove the existing paper or how tired I would become before finishing the project.

At least I got off to a good start, thanks to a generous friend. Patsy had hung wallpaper before and offered to show me the fundamentals. The most important thing she taught me was to use plumb line, a weighted string, to establish a  perfectly vertical line.

Without that plumb line for a vertical reference, the wallpaper would wind up askew. The end result would be a mess.

Forrest Gump’s mama said life is like a box of chocolates, but I think life is more like hanging wallpaper. To do it right, we must have a plumb line, an infallible guide, to keep us straight. God has given us the Bible to be our plumb line.

When I was a young adult, someone impressed me with the importance of spending time each day reading and meditating on Scripture. I have it a priority through the years.

Looking back, I realize without God’s Word to show me how to live, I would have created quite a mess.

Father, thank you for giving us the Bible to guide us through life.

Carol