March 23 - Challenge Your Thoughts
Very few people are aware of their own thoughts, most of us act by instinct without going into the nature and condition of our thoughts. When we are not guarding our thoughts, we allow the enemy to send his thoughts and ideas into our mind. Most of the thoughts are suggestions for us to go one way or the other. If we do not stop wrong or evil thoughts, they will cause us to do things against God’s will.
The devil wants us to challenge God and His thoughts. He speaks lies and falsehood and we think that they are part of our thoughts. The first thought that comes into our mind is usually not our own. However, if we dwell on it, think about it a few more times, we would then own the thought. This is how temptation comes into our lives, through conception, growth and birth of evil, all in our mind. We have to doubt God and His good intention in order to foster a spirit of rebellion. Asking God “why” is a sure way to depart from God’s will.
The first few verses of Psalms 42 are filled with questions to challenge God. It all started with others challenging the psalmist, “Where is your God?” Doubts about the existence and goodness of God were sent to the hearer, creating a series of questions within him. This caused him to think of the “good old days” and compared the past with his present trouble and depression. One verse is repeated here and it provides the clue for the psalmist to get out of his depression: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”
Instead of asking God “why”, instead of challenging God, the psalmist challenged his thoughts. He asked himself for the reason to be depressed. There is no reason for any child of God to feel badly about any situation because God is alive. He is to be praised because only He is our salvation and our God. The psalmist was not only challenging his thoughts, he was educating himself with the truth about God. Like in Psalms 103:1, the psalmist spoke to himself, to his heart, to the core of his being.
We should not let our heart run wild without control. If we do not guard our heart, it will be all over the map, leading you on journeys you do not want to take. Wherever you are, you can always remember God because by day, He commands His steadfast love and at night His song is with us. Send a prayer to the Lord of your life and you would return to him. Do not let negative emotions and thoughts run your life. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you and run your life.
How is your thinking and feeling at this point? Are you feeling any ugly thoughts or emotions? Bring it before the Lord, challenge them and bring them into obedience.
Ps 42:6-11 Num 36:1-Deut 1:46 Luke 5:29-6:11 Prov 11:24-26