Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Monday, April 9, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-04-09-2018

This is devotional thought number 64 in our devotional series titled, “Wisdom for the Ages.”

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7).

I can remember it like it was yesterday. A pastor once said, “You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.” Our perception of self is irrelevant. We can fool ourselves into whatever view of self is envogue that day. However, our thoughts are the reality of our being. If we dwell upon malice, we are full of malice. If we dwell upon thoughts of how better to serve others, we are service oriented. If we dwell upon movie scenes full of lust, greed, and murder, that paradigm is our character. If we entertain loving and holy thoughts related to our spouses, this is our reality. If we meditate upon God’s words regularly, those thoughts are a manifestation of our characters under a microscope; and so the wiseman is mirroring, in our theme text, the thoughts of Jesus when He said: “Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” (Matthew 15:17–20). Our thinking is the root of our being. How’s your thought life today?

Oftentimes, we profess, just like the man depicted in today’s verse, to be one way, but it’s not so. God says do thus and such and we say, “All that the Lord saith, that shall we do,” but some of our hearts tell a different tale. How do we avoid the hypocrisy of having a form of godliness, but denying the power of God? How can our actions match our holy professions? Among many in Scripture, James and Paul gave us the keys. James said that we should submit ourselves to God first, then we would be empowered to resist the devil, and he would flee. Paul agreed with king David when he wrote: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8). Do you wish to have a character that is in alignment with God’s character? Surrender your will, your all, and your daily thought life to God and your character will shine as bright lights in this dark and dismal world. Let God’s truth be your meditation both day and night. Give God your mind and let Him empower you to act out His life in your daily activities until Jesus comes.

A word to the foolish is wasteful. A word to the wise is sufficient.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)