Thinking God’s Thoughts
Written By Sarah Ann E.

 

Many times each day I have to battle with keeping my thoughts pure and totally pleasing to the Lord. What has really helped me is to go through the Bible and look up the verses on thoughts and write them on a card and read it everyday (sometimes many times a day). The Lord has helped me gain victory through reading what His word has to say about my thoughts. I would like to share with you the verses that have meant a lot and have helped me through many hard times in my thought life.

First of all, Psalms 94:11b says, "The LORD knows the thoughts of man," "For the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts" (1 Chronicles 28:9) . Now if we went about our day remembering that the Lord knows all that we think, I know that we would think totally different. This we constantly need to remember, for the Lord will hold us accountable for our sinful thoughts. "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) . Each of our thoughts must be checked, or taken captive, to see if they are in obedience to Christ. There are two verses that have been very convicting to me when I think on wrong thoughts. Galatians 5:13, "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." 1 Peter 2:16, "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondservants of God." Many times we our free moments are full of sinful , fleshly thinking. We are not to take this "opportunity" to think impure thoughts. Take that time to think upon our wonderful Lord and what He has done for us. What we think ,is what we are. Sinful thoughts are also the direct root of every sinful word and action.. Be careful not to act outwardly like a godly Christian, and in your heart you are thinking thoughts that displease the One we represent. You would not court a guy, and in your thought life love another guy. Ask the Lord for victory and think upon His word. We need to treat our Lord like precious gold, and think of Him often. "How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you?" Jeremiah 4:14b. Turn to the Lord and give Him all of your thought life - surrender. He ALONE is the only one who can help us with our thoughts.

Truly our prayer should be "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, My rock and my Redeemer" (Psalms 19:14). Also, "Search me, O God and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalms 139:23-24).

I guess that I would say my favorite passage about thoughts is Isaiah 55:6-9, "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. ' For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are you ways My ways,' declares the LORD. ' For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' "

Let us think high thoughts after our Lord. Keep your thoughts pure. Remember that the Lord knows every one of your thoughts. Let us keep our thoughts focused on our LOVER, our Lord Jesus Christ, and not on our self and pleasurable thoughts. The Lord will give us lovely thoughts if we just think after Him. I challenge you to keep Psalms 94:11b in your thoughts this month,. "The LORD knows the thoughts of man,"