The Lord Knows our Thoughts

Only someone who is very foolish thinks that they can hide something from God! We can’t even hide our thoughts from God.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. ²You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. (Ps 139:1-2 NKJV) This verse from Scripture says that God knows all of our actions as well as our thoughts.

I know where you live, how you go out and come in, and how you rage against me. (2 Kgs 19:27 CEB) The Lord is even aware of when we’re angry with Him.

. . . the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. (Ps 94:11 ESV)

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:13 NIV) EVERYTHING that concern each and every one of us is revealed to God.

If we had forgotten the name of our God or lifted our hands to a foreign god, wouldn’t God find out since he knows the secrets of the heart? (Ps 44:20-21 ISV) God knows the very secrets of our hearts.

So what can we do about this truth from the Bible? How can we repent before God for our sinful thoughts, and go forward in a righteous way?

Ask God to forgive you for any thoughts that you can remember that He would recognize as sin—or that you know are sinful.

Next, ask Him to give you the grace to remember that He knows your every thought. Also, try to remember that God never leaves you nor forsakes you.

The Lord, the Holy Spirit, is constantly with each and every one of us. He doesn’t leave when we enter a tavern, a drug party or a movie theater showing an immoral movie. He is right there with us; and if we remember that, it will help us to live in a way that will bring God glory.

If we remember that God knows our EVERY thought, and that He is with us AT ALL TIMES, we will have the grace that we need to face these temptations and to resist them to the glory of God. In this way, and many more, the Lord becomes our strength.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13) Praise God!

Jesus, the Good Shepherd

Jesus spoke about Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-18.

The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. ²He causes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters. (Ps 23:1-2 EHV)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (Joh 10:11 NKJV)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:33 NIV)

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19 NASB)

And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Pet 5:4 ESV)

A shepherd is an overseer of his flock. By identifying Himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures.

In Ezekiel 34:1-10, the Lord outlines what constitutes a bad shepherd. Through Ezekiel 34:11-31, Jesus establishes Himself as the Savior and Messiah, and the new leader of the Israelites. He is the Good Shepherd who protects, provides for and cares for His sheep. We are the sheep of His pasture!

Jesus calls out to all people to (obey) His voice. Glory to God!

To Attain Greatness, Serve!

Would you like to be called great someday? The Bible tells us how to reach that goal! But it would surprise most of us to know that the pathway to greatness is by serving others!

That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. (Mt 20:26-27 ISV)

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mk 10:45 NKJV) Even our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth to serve mankind—not to sit on His throne as King!

But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. (Lk 22:26 ESV)

Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 18:4 CEB)

The Bible has this to say about one of God’s servants: Moses was faithful in all God’s house, as a servant. (Heb 3:5)

The more that we serve and help other people, the higher that we rise in God’s estimation. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus said that He, Himself, came to serve and to be a ransom for many. What a beautiful example to all of us who follow Him and serve Him!

Here’s a short list of some great people who became famous because of their service to others: Mother Teresa (Missionaries of Charity); Clara Barton (American Red Cross); William Booth (Salvation Army); Bill Wilson (Alcoholics Anonymous); and Cecil Jackson-Cole (Oxfam). There are many, many others that I don’t have space to name.

Those who strive to be servants gain respect, success, and acclaim. They also are noticed and rewarded by our God and Savior, whose opinion of us is the most important of all. God bless you!

We are Heirs of God through Christ

Through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, we have been made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. (see Rom 8:17) An “heir” is a person who inherits, or has a right of inheritance, to the property of another person following their death.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15 NKJV)

What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Cor 2:12 NIV, emphasis added)

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God . . . (Rom 8:16 ESV)

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” ⁷Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Gal 4:4-7 NKJV)

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. (Eph 1:5 NLT)

One of the rights that we were given as heirs is an inheritance of everything that belongs to God. Everything in the entire universe belongs to God. Both seen and unseen things belong to God! It is all God’s property.

So, as incomprehensible as it may seem, when it comes to our inheritance as the children of God, everything that belongs to Jesus also belongs to us because we are joint heirs with Christ!

“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you . . . ” (1 Pet 1:3-4 ESV) Our inheritance includes all of the blessings and promises found in the Bible and more. We have been given an eternal inheritance that is shown above in 1 Peter 1 as “imperishable, undefiled, unfading and kept in heaven for us.”

I think it’s safe to say that our eternal inheritance is so royal and so wonderful, that we can’t even get a true concept of the enormity and magnificence of it. Have fun and receive inspiration from meditating upon this truth. God bless you!

Shine as a Light

Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit within each and every believer (1 Cor 6:19), we are expected to shine His light into the earth and upon all people.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. (Mt 5:14 NIV)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (Joh 8:12 NKJV)

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. (1 Thes 5:5 ESV)

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world . . . (Phil 2:14-15 ESV, underscoring added)

From these Bible passages, we are reminded again and again of the truth of the first statement in this article. We are called to be blameless and innocent children of God living within a crooked and corrupt world. Because of the life of the Lord dwelling within each one of us, we cannot help but SHINE as lights in the world.

Our light comes from Jesus—the Light of the World! Allow His light, love and mercy to be evident in you. Go ahead and be a brave and bright beacon right where you are! Hallelujah!

Persist in Faith for Christ is our Hope

Because we have a living Hope who is Jesus Christ, the righteous One, we need to persevere in our faith. We should also pray diligently for answers to our needs.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Rom 12:12 NIV)

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. (Ps 62:8 NKJV)

Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing . . . (1 Thes 5:16-17 NKJV)

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:27 NIV)

Glory to God! God is our refuge—our safe haven and our protector.

The tomb couldn’t hold the living and victorious body of our Savior. Jesus lived a holy and sinless life on earth.

He appeared to many people several days after He had been crucified bearing the wounds of the cross. When He did, Jesus demonstrated power and victory over death. Jesus is ALIVE. Glory to God! Jesus is our hope because He is alive; He is almighty; and He has reconciled us to God the Father.

Be Kindhearted and Empathetic

The Word of God teaches us how to live good, righteous, and content lives. All we need to do is to honor and to obey His Word.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Rom 12:15 NIV) Be considerate of and sympathetic to other peoples’ feelings and life experiences. In this way we minister God’s love to them.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Cor 12:26 NKJV) We should rejoice with those who rejoice and sorrow with those who grieve, since we are all a part of the family of God.

Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. (Heb 13:3 CEB) The Lord wants us to be benevolent and gentle with other peoples’ feelings and life experiences. He wants us to respond to peoples’ needs as if we have been in exactly the same spot that they are in.

Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. (Phil 2:17-18 NKJV) The writer of Philippians, who is allowing his own life to resemble a drink offering unto the Lord, reminds his cherished readers to be glad and to rejoice with him.

This is the right way to respond to all who are members of the family of faith–the family of God.

Trust in God & Be Not Afraid

As followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, we place our trust, faith, and hope in God and in His Word. But there are various challenging circumstances that we may face in life that might bring fear into our hearts.

Fear is not good because fear involves torment (suffering, torture, persecution). Even the Bible confirms this fact:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. (1 Joh 4:18a NKJV)

These Bible passages (below) encourage us to trust in God and to avoid fear. These verses state why we can be faith-filled.

In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Ps 56:4 NIV) With God on our side, what can a mere human being do?

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Ps 118:6 NIV) This echoes the same feeling as the verse above.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Rom 8:31-34 NIV) This passage from the Scriptures reminds us of the many blessings that we have received along with our salvation. We have so many reasons to rejoice and to be full of faith.

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb 13:6 NIV) Be filled with confidence. Just remember that the Lord is the One who is helping us—constantly!

Let us overflow with thanksgiving and praise.

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Month: February 2022