Sometimes there is a desire to cut corners to get ahead but if we work hard and do things the right way, our lives will be constructed so we are aligned upright with God and He will bless us. What a wonderful tool we have in the word of God to help us do what is right. Reading the word today with attention to Isaiah 56-57, the people were still captive in Babylon. To escape their bondage, they needed to be delivered.

Today’s passage explains that there is fear in those who have not done what is right. there were people that were unsure about whether the invitation of deliverance embraces foreigners or gentiles that were not in the covenant family of Israel. Those who thought that they were not accepted into God’s family because of their race, social position, work, or financial situation.

Also touched upon in today’s passage is the worship of idols and that when the people truly needed help, idols had no power. Instead, those who took refuge in God would be helped. That is why it’s important to serve God each day and to have a day called the Sabath that is special as we set aside plenty of time to worship, rest, and pray.

While off during summers going through college, I worked for a construction company. In construction, there are tools used to measure the integrity of what is being built. For example, in building a house, a tool called the level is used to measure horizontally to make sure the doors and windows are level. While framing the walls before construction of the roof, a plumb line is used to make sure the structure is centered or aligned so it can support the weight as the walls and roof are built. 

There is a verse in the Bible about a plumb line in Amos 7:8.

And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I spare them no longer.

The Word of God is our plumb line in life. It measures so we can align our thinking and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. The plumb line may show that we are off center at times but let us be thankful that Jesus is our deliverer. With Jesus by our side, we have the counselor or Holy Spirit to help us maintain justice and do what is right. To make us upright and true to serve God every day and to bring Him glory.

Lord, You have high standards and that is a good thing. We are thankful that grace gives us a chance to get it right. You give us Your word as a tool to get aligned and the Holy Spirit councils as we pray and live out each day being honest with ourselves. Help us have the attitude of wanting to know when we are out of balance so we can consider what we need to do. We accept Your love in giving Your one and only Son to get us in right standing. Love along with Truth provides us with what is needed as we construct our lives to handle the weight the world puts on our shoulders. Amen.