MONDAY, December 7 (Ambrose of Milan)

Amos 7:1-9. Then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste."

I've heard people say, "I know I'm not perfect. I have my failings. But I know that God understands my weaknesses and forgives me." Those words are true, but that does not mean that God winks at our failure to obey him. Forgiveness is real but not cheap. There are consequences to unfaithfulness.

The prophet Amos lived at a time of economic prosperity and easy religion which took divine favor for granted. In this passage he envisions God as a builder holding a plumb line against which the people will be measured. Plumb lines do not allow for deviation. If a wall is not plumb, it is in danger of falling down and must be either straightened or razed and rebuilt. If our behaviors are not true, we too will be razed or rebuilt, and the choice is ours. God is for us; God does love us and forgive us--but part of that is his straightening and correcting of us. God does not grade on the curve.

PRAY for the Diocese of Western Michigan (Province V, USA)

Ps 25 * 9, 15; Revelation 1:1-8; Matthew 22:23-33

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Dec 07, 2009 at 2:18 am

Written by Rob,

Yes Lord, I hear you.

...

Dec 07, 2009 at 3:11 am

Written by Michael Foster,

The longer I live, the more I think this kind of thinking about sin is not terribly helpful. I think of God as making me into a new person, and when I sin, I just delay that process. I think that's the reason Christ said that thinking about sinning is as "bad" as doing sinning. The reason is a matter of will. When I turn my face away from Him, then I'm really facing the wrong direction.

I really want to see what God can do with me, and so I just try to get out of the way. Sin surely is a barrier to God remaking me.

I suppose, though, that my view presumes that one has turned his or her life over to Christ.

Do we fear to do wrong?

Dec 07, 2009 at 6:14 am

Written by Mary Starr Smith,

Michael's post is the gentle reasoning of a steady life. As a downtown parish, we've seen drug & alcohol addictions that led people to physically attack church staff and rob people in the parking areas, a suicide by a homeless man living in our garden after 10 years of refused mental health treatment, and the ongoing struggles of others. If it is frightening to say that God seeks to rebuild our lives on His terms, it is also our eternal hope that He is willing to do so.

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Dec 07, 2009 at 6:22 am

Written by Richard H. Schmidt, Editor, Forward Day by Day,

Thanks for those thoughtful comments. I agree with Michael's comment. Just yesterday I preached on repentance (Luke 3:106) as turning toward Jesus. I think forgiveness is a fact, sealed by Christ on Mt. Calvary. But so long as we are turned away from Jesus, it remains a fact that makes no difference in our lives. And part of turning toward Jesus, repenting, is giving him permission to remake our lives, which usually includes some things we might not have chosen. But always they are good things. When I wrote today's meditation, I did not mean to suggest that the plumb line leads to condemnation for all who do not measure up, but that when we don't measure up, God goes to work on us---if we turn, invite him to. Thanks for your comments.

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