Thoughts
“My heart overflows with a beautiful thought!”
(Psalm 45:1 - NLT)
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”
(Psalm139: 17 - NKJV)
On the world’s markets, “thoughts” rarely rank as a precious commodity. The man who wrote these Psalms was, in all probability, one of the richest of his generation as far as material things were concerned – yet he ranked “thoughts” as more precious than wealth, status, success or fame.
God also places great value on thoughts. When Samuel the great Prophet of Israel looked for a King, God reminded him – “Don’t judge by appearance or height – people judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a persons thoughts and intentions.” (1 Samuel 16: 7 – NLT). David - the chosen King evidently recognised this for he said of God – “You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night” (Psalm 17: 3 – NLT).
Whether we recognise it or not our thoughts are of great value and are under the same scrutiny! Sadly, for many, the sum total of their Christian profession is external observance. One of the things that mark out the “wicked” is that – “God is in none of his thoughts” (Psalm 10: 4). Perhaps when judged on this level we need to readjust the things we think about! Apparently in God’s eyes we are what we think!
I am convinced that the biggest battles in the Christian life are fought, lost or won in the mind! In the very first book of the Bible we read of a man called Lot who “Pitched his tent towards Sodom” (Genesis 12:12 – KJV), a city infamous for sexual perversion and sin. Very shortly thereafter we find Lot had moved his home to Sodom! Someone has rightly said that where the mind goes the man follows!
My Grandfather's favourite Psalm contained these words - "They (blessed men and women) are like trees planted along the riverbank bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper." The secret of such blessing in life is also revealed in Psalm 1 - "… his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."
