Often in our society today people get the idea that as long
as they don’t get caught that whatever they do really does not matter. Businesses have put up video cameras to help
and reveal those who are doing wrong only to have people deny it or make
excuses for it. Yet as we look at
scripture we must come to realize that not only to our words and actions
matter, but our thoughts matter as well!
If you will take time to read the following passages it
becomes quite clear that God knows our thoughts, in fact it tells us that “the
Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.” (I Chron. 28:9; Isa. 66:18; Daniel 2; Matthew
9:4; Luke 11:17; I Cor. 3:20; Psalm 19:13-14; Psalm 104:34) In fact, Gen. 6:5
makes it clear that the world wide judgment of Noah’s flood was because “God
saw…that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.” So not only does God know
our every thought, but He is concerned with what we are thinking.
Our thoughts also affect our lives, or at least the
consequences of our thoughts affect our lives.
Joshua 1:8 has a great promise to those who meditate upon and act out
what God’s Word says. It says, “you will
make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Psalm 1:1-2 has a similar promise that he is
“blesses” who meditates on the word day and night.
Other passages of Scripture make it clear that we can guide
our thoughts and give inference as to what our thoughts should be upon. I would encourage you to look at these
passages of scripture and consider that what was being meditated upon was God
in His splendor and majesty, His mighty deeds as well as His Word. (Psalm 145:5; Psalm 143:5; Ps. 63:6; Ps.
77:6, 12; Psalm 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148, Phil . 4:8)
Then, I will challenge you to consider what may be getting
in the way of proper thinking and meditation.
Once we discover some of those things we need to work to reduce or
remove them from our lives so that we may “bring every thought into captivity
to the obedience of Christ.” II Cor.
10:5 Never should we say, “It was just a
thought.”
