Treasured Thoughts

Today I’m joining Joanne for Monday Manna, which is designed to get together and get to know God’s Word. Todays verse is Luke 2:19.

Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. (CEB)

I can’t imagine being selected for such a gigantic task as Mary. Even after receiving divine notification about her miraculous pregnancy and the child she would birth, to receive confirmation from others had to be encouraging.

At times I have found myself saying that I’m like Mary pondering things in my heart. I have had God-whispered that were far to grand for my feeble mind to comprehend fully but I chose to store them away for  later. And sometimes years later, I have heard a word  spoken across a pulpit, directly to me, or read something that triggered my memory of the promises spoken sometime ago.

I think it does us all well to commit those things we’ve heard into our minds and to really reflect on them. In today’s information overload, it can be rather easy to read or hear something and just move on to the next thing. But what happens when we just move onto the next bit of information without cementing it into our hearts? We lose ground during the normal see nothing days.  Having God’s Word stored up gives us strength to continue on when faced with the challenges of life. What things are you treasuring in your heart and mind?

CEB is the Common English Bible, which is a new translation of the Bible designed for easy reading and built on common ground. For an opportunity to win soft cover copy of the CEB Bible, complete the form below. Winner will be announced Thursday, December 22.

But, I want to go this way {Monday Manna}

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
       neither are your ways my ways,"
       declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

When I saw that Isaiah 55:8-9 was the passage for Joanne’s Monday Manna, one of the first things to come to my mind was His thoughts and ways are definitely NOT like mine. Which of course is a good thing but that doesn’t mean I always see it that way. That probably doesn’t sound very nice for a self-professed Christ follower, but, nevertheless it’s true anyway.

As I thought on this scripture, my mind went back to all the “thoughts” and “plans” I had for my  life over a decade ago. I can look on those thoughts and plans of mine with both gladness and sadness. Some things I thought for sure were what I wanted only to get them and find that it wasn’t all I’d chalked it up to be in my own mine. Others meant so little to me then but now as the days, months, and years fly by without any sign of them on the horizon, I find myself questioning Lord how long.

Just like He guided the Israelites along the long way to Canaan for a reason, I have to trust that the steps I’m taking along my life journey are preparing me for the promised place. Even when I can’t perceive the good in it, I must trust that He indeed has a plan and it’s good and not evil.

Imprisoned Thoughts

Stop! What are you thinking about at this exact moment? What thoughts have been swimming through your mind lately? During the course of a day, many random thoughts flow through my head. At times I’m thinking about work, family, blogging, TV shows, Bible verses, or some spark of inspiration.

Being in church I’ve heard 2 Corinthians 10:5 which states, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, quoted on several occasions and I have read it a few times. After reading Mark Batterson’s book Primal a few months ago, that verse took on new meaning to me. He states, “This verse is not just about capturing sinful thoughts and keeping them out of our minds; it’s also about capturing creative thoughts and keeping them in our minds. It means stewarding every word, every thought, every impression, and every revelation inspired by the Spirit of God”. Now this was a fresh perspective for me. Having been someone immobilized by fears and irrational or negative thoughts, I understood the impact of failing to get a grip on your thought life.

But I never considered the responsibility I had to be a good steward of those passing inspirations or God thoughts. I can’t tell you how many times an idea came to mind but I failed to hold it captive and it was soon forgotten until something triggered the memory again. Of course, every idea that comes to mind is not necessarily a God thought but I do wonder what could I do or be, if I did more to arrest those thoughts. If I wasn’t so quick to cast them away as being meaningless or impossible, there is no telling how different my life might be.

Are your thoughts holding you captive to people, places, events or are you holding your thoughts as prisoners? There is a world of difference between the two. Have you come across any quote or book that has changed your perspective on a matter lately? If so, please share.