PERSONAL THOUGHTS

" In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul."  (Psalm 94:19)

One of the most ingenious initiatives of the wicked one is that of thoughtless religion. It has always existed among the tribal nations of the world, dominated by fear and superstition. Our adversary, however, has also promoted this form of delusion in our Western world. Using the penchant for entertainment that he himself fostered, he has launched an aggressive attack against the people of God. The door of opportunity was left ajar for our adversary when the church ceased to major on preaching, seeking to give the people what THEY wanted, instead of what the Lord provided in Christ. At the very moment the preaching of the Gospel is minimized, degeneration begins within the thoughts of men. In our text, David declared his personal thoughts brought comfort and solace to his soul. That means they were thoughts that were in harmony with the very thoughts of God. His thinking helped to establish him.
The exaltation of feeling. Feeling has been exalted to a place of prominence, even though it is a subordinate part of our nature. In an environment so affected, hype supplants contemplation, and ecstasy is preferred to insight. Those who give assent to this persuasion, perceive Divine guidance as occurring independently of thought. However, a religion that does not engage the mind has not reached the heart, nor can it change the person. If it is true of an individual, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov 23:7), then we do well to examine our thoughts. And if the "issues" of life proceed from the heart (Prov 4:23), a religion that does not affect the mind, CANNOT affect the heart, and is dangerous!  A thoughtless religion is a self-contradiction. Wherever it exists, individuals will be found trusting in men rather than God. Faith cannot be brought to maturity without the involvement of the mind and the expression of thought. Thoughts can be "established," or made firm before God (Prov 16:3).
Thought is not an end of itself. Satan also promotes thinking; in fact, he is the originator of patterns of thought that lead to perdition. Scripture apprises us that, prior to the flood, men were dominated by "evil thoughts" continually (Gen 6:5). Jesus declared such thoughts came from the "heart," and were expressions of a corrupted nature (Matt.15:19). The Psalmist spoke of "vain thoughts," affirming that he had a hatred for them (Psa 94:11; 119:119). Isaiah wrote of those possessing "thoughts of iniquity" (Isa 65:2), and Micah condemned a generation that had "not the thoughts of the Lord" (Mic 4:12). Here is a danger zone that has been obscured by the frothy religion of our time. Make war against vain thoughts. Seek to have godly thoughts.