Bible League: Living His Word Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.God has given human beings the ability to think. He has given us the ability to rationally reflect upon virtually everything there is. Although we may not fully understand a lot of things, we are still able to think about them. We think about the physical realm around us, the plant realm, the animal realm, and the human realm. We can also think about God and religious matters. God has revealed things about Himself and our relationship to Him and we can think about what He has revealed. We can also critically reflect upon and evaluate our thoughts. We can turn from everything that surrounds us on the outside and look inward to that which is going on in our minds. Perhaps because we have less control over what goes on outside of us we tend to think about those things more often than we think about what goes on inside of us. Nevertheless, we are certainly capable of doing it. We are capable of thinking about our own thoughts. Although we may not think about our own thoughts all that often, our verse for today says that we should be careful about what we think "Above all." That is, above everything that we should be careful about, we should be careful about what we think. We should not allow just any old thought to course its way through our minds unhindered. We should take control of our thoughts. We should be careful to only think about things we should be thinking about. This is because sin can misdirect our thinking just as much as it can misdirect our actions. We should think about our thoughts so that we keep ourselves from sin in that area. After all, "The LORD hates evil thoughts" (Proverbs 15:26), and what Christian wants to do what the Lord hates? More importantly, we should think about our thoughts because our thoughts control our lives. Thoughts don't always remain mere thoughts. Thoughts can have legs. Thoughts can be the precursor of what we do on the outside. If we think wrong thoughts, wrong actions may soon follow. Today, ask the Lord to help you think about your thoughts. And ask Him to help you take control of them. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 59, 60, 61 Isaiah 59 -- Your sins have separated you and your God NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 60 -- The Glory of Zion NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 61 -- The Spirit of the Lord is on me; The Year of the Lord's Favor NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Thessalonians 4 1 Thessalonians 4 -- Live to Please God; The Dead in Christ Brought with His Second Coming NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.Insight We are saved by faith, not by deeds. But love for others and for God is the response of those whom God has forgiven. God's forgiveness is complete, and Jesus said that those who are forgiven much love much. Challenge Because faith expresses itself through love, you can check your love for others as a way to monitor your faith. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.In these words the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. "Come and dine," implies the same table, the same meat; aye, and sometimes it means to sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Saviour's bosom. It is being brought into the banqueting-house, where waves the banner of redeeming love. "Come and dine," gives us a vision of union with Jesus, because the only food that we can feast upon when we dine with Jesus is himself. Oh, what union is this! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom, that we thus feed upon Jesus. "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints. Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one cup. As the loving cup goes round we pledge one another heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were more near to Jesus we should be more near to one another. We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. To look at Christ is to live, but for strength to serve him you must "come and dine." We labor under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this percept of the Master. We none of us need to put ourselves on low diet; on the contrary, we should fatten on the marrow and fatness of the gospel that we may accumulate strength therein, and urge every power to its full tension in the Master's service. Thus, then, if you would realize nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love to his people and strength from Jesus, "come and dine" with him by faith. Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 12:11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. Colossians 3:23,24 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, • knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Ephesians 6:8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. John 9:4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. Luke 2:49 And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." 2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; Hebrews 6:11,12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, • so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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