What Are You Thinking?

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things."

What are we thinking? I don't see anything in this verse that gives room for "poor little ole me" stuff. I don't see anything that leads toward, "but what if" and it never happens. It's like I need to turn my brain off, and restart it to get it going in the right path of thinking.

How much time do we spend thinking on the negative, unjust, bad things, oh should I mention how much time are we criticizing people and the government. Let me read that verse again. Nope, I don't find anything that gives room for critical attitudes either. I believe the Word of God fits all those things that we are to meditate on. How much time do we really spend in meditating on the Word of God?

There are so many distractions, and then my mind goes tumbling around the things that need to be done, the things I failed at and wish I would have done differently. I feel trapped in my own head. How can I get out of this miserable state of mind?

Starting the day with reading the Bible gets me going in the right direction. Prayer. As we start to meditate on the Word, I believe throughout the day, God brings our attention to things around us that remind us of a verse or a song that we can meditate on.

The good thing is that even though, I have failed God, He does not fail me. He promises hold true. He takes my weeping in the night and turns it to joy in the morning. His love never fails, ever! He loves me, He protects me, and He cares for me like no other.

The final thought....He understands me because He created me. He knows my thoughts and my desires. He doesn't give up on me. Sometimes I want to give up on me...but for the Grace of God...oh the grace of God. What a precious Gift. Take that gift today and think on these things.

God bless you

Picking Up Sticks

Sunday has just started. I'm up and waiting, friends are coming in. So I decided it is a good time to talk with you. Oh I wish, we'd be sitting together on a couch, or at a table with a cup of coffee. My mind has been rumbling on a lot of issues. I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of my "issues."

I am reading through the Old Testament, and the command for a day of rest was given to the Children of Israel in the desert. It wasn't a day to satisfy self, it was to be a day of rest. I think a holy rest. For you see, I just read Numbers 15 this morning, verse 32 says that a man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath. God commanded the people to stone him.

Wait a minute, you may think. That is harsh, to kill a man for picking up sticks on a Sabbath. But God commanded the Sabbath to be holy. Although, we don't have a Sabbath as it were in the Old Testament, but I am wondering if there should be a day of rest for us? Would our accomplishments be greater if we took a moment to meditate on the Lord...for a day that is.

To be honest, I'm not sure we even honor God on Sunday. We go to church, but while we are there we are planning where to eat and what we will do after we leave church. Have you ever tried to sit for one hour and concentrate and meditate solely on God. The busy-ness of our life finds its way into our thoughts. Of course, we need to watch ball games on Sunday afternoon/evening. And do the laundry for we were just too busy during the week to get it done. After all, God wouldn't want our kids to go to school with mussed up clothes.

Maybe, just maybe, we are picking up too many sticks on Sunday, a day of rest. We do need a rest. We need that time with the Lord. Oh how precious those moments are, when we actually take the time and listen to Him. He takes pleasure in our abiding in Him. He is waiting to give us a rest, a refreshing. I do believe a day of Rest would refresh us more than we can imagine.

God gave us Sunday, use it for His Glory.

God bless you.