NOVEMBER 28, 2025

  “We will not be measured by the world’s standards anymore. We will be measured by the plumb line of God’s Word. We will be people who live out our Christianity by walking faithfully in obedience to God. We will love mercy and justice. We will love others the way God loves us— unconditionally, relentlessly, and with grace.”

― Teresa Schultz

EZEKIEL 40

1In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me and he took me there. 2In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.”(40:1-4) 

1 PETER 5

1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

JOURNAL 

What struck me today is the idea that God measures us not by size, success, or performance but by honesty. When Ezekiel saw the man of bronze standing with a measuring rod, the image was not about architectural proportions. It was God revealing that the true structure He is building is the interior life of His people. A plumb line does not measure how big something is. It reveals whether it is true. Whether it stands straight. Whether its posture is aligned with what is real.

Honesty becomes the spiritual plumb line. When I am honest with God about where I am weak, where I am afraid, where I am bent by worry or shame, I step into alignment with Him. And when my heart aligns with truth, the soil of my life becomes fertile. Honesty makes room for His Spirit to cultivate, to correct, to heal, and to expand. God cannot grow seeds in soil covered by pretense. He grows His life in soil softened by honesty.

This ties beautifully with what Peter writes. He speaks to believers who were displaced and struggling, people who felt the weight of chaos and loss. He reminds them that God is not looking for impressive leaders. He is looking for shepherds who are willing, humble, present, and aligned with love. Peter does not measure them by the outcomes of their circumstances. He measures them by the posture of their hearts. This again is honesty. The honesty to serve instead of perform. The honesty to shepherd instead of strive. The honesty to be an example because their lives are aligned with God’s character, not because they have mastered religious technique.

Then there is Saul. The moment something like scales fell from his eyes, he finally saw reality as it was. His vision was restored in the same moment his honesty was restored. He recognized the truth about himself, the truth about Jesus, and the truth about his calling. When those scales fell, his life stood upright for the first time.

I feel that same need in myself. This week with family has been so good and so grounding. Thanksgiving always does this for me. It strips away the noise and brings me back to relationships. It reminds me that the early Christians Peter wrote to could only dream of the life we enjoy. Their circumstances were brutal. Yet the message God gave them is the same message He gives me. Be humble. Resist evil. Cling to God and to one another. Live truthfully. Stand in honesty before Him.

Honesty becomes the spiritual soil where God writes the next chapter. It is the doorway into relationship with Him. When I am honest about my doubts, my gratitude, my longing for purpose, and even my fear, I am standing straight before Him. I am aligned with His plumb line. And in that alignment, His Spirit can build the life He intended all along.

Today I simply want to stand honestly before God. I want the measuring line of His Word to show me where I lean and where I need to be restored. I want my heart to be good soil. Because where honesty is present, the Spirit of God expands, multiplies, and breathes new life.

17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

ACTS 9:17-19