Always on His Mind

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
(Psalm 139:17-18)

Heat is a wonderful thing, especially on cold mornings. I am so thankful that we live in an age when heat in your house is automatic. Imagine living a hundred years ago – a warm house first thing in the morning wasn’t a given – you had to get up and start the fire. It makes me wonder what people will look back on our time if Jesus tarries, and say “I’m glad we didn’t live back then – do you realize what they had to live without?”

When I read letters like what Paul wrote I realize that the more things change, the more they stay the same. People are still the same, and the challenges and struggles we face as Christians are still the same. Yes, the Roman culture was different than our society, but he still had to deal with the same kinds of mental attacks. I’m certain Paul had childhood wounds, although they wouldn’t have referred to it that way. No one escapes childhood without wounds of some kind. For some, it comes from their parents or other family members. For others it comes from friends. How many of us have emotional wounds from just being in school where our peers often could be cruel to us? I have a couple of distinct memories of schoolmates saying or doing things that were extremely hurtful, and to this very day I can return in an instant to that point in time.

Memories are our way to time travel. But I also have a wealth of wonderful memories from my childhood, and there are times when those bring a smile to my spirit.

What is it that makes us focus on the negative things that people speak or have spoken over us? Even when we KNOW them not to be true?

We know from His word what God thinks of us:

• We are accepted. (Ephesians 1:6)
• We are complete in Him. (Colossians 2:10)
• We are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• We are clean, and washed by His Word. (John 15:3)
• We are loved. (John 15:9)
• We are of great worth. (Matthew 10:31)
• We are God’s workmanship, & created in Him for good works. (Ephesians 2:10)
• We are the temple of God, and His Spirit dwells in us. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• We are called by Jesus to be a saint. (Romans 1:6-7)
• We’ve been given the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

These are all thoughts that we can be thinking on to replace those thoughts in our minds that would have us think we are anything less than who God created us to be.

God has also told he who He is and how He will be with us when we are seeking Him:

• He is the Lord who heals us. (Exodus 15:26)
• He is our exceedingly great shield. (Genesis 15:1)
• He comforts us. (Isaiah 51:12)
• He is with us always. (Matthew 28:20)
• He is ready to perform His Word. (Jeremiah 1:12)
• He is our Teacher. (Matthew 22:10).

God’s thoughts towards us are beyond measure. “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them, Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I am awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18)

Focus on the good that God has spoken over us and our lives and turn the negative thoughts in our minds into positives!