Tag Archives: thoughts

In His Thoughts No Room for God

25 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Psalm 10, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 10
(Verses 1-4)
Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God (NIV).

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He stretches out the heavens like a tent — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

Reflection
When I wrote these thoughts on Psalm 10, outside my window snow was drifting down and appropriate or not, my mind returned to our not-so-long-ago rendezvous with Christmas. Ah, Christmas! I love the significance of the season—time spent with family and thoughts of a babe–our Savior–in a manger.

But for many what a mangled wreck—what a gross distortion—this celebration of Christ’s birth has become. For millions of people, this commercial bonanza is completely devoid of any spiritual meaning. It is nothing more than a buying and selling frenzy—a pursuit of trinkets signifying nothing—nothing of eternal value.

In this psalm we see the deceptive signs—the misdirected signs of that season. Through clever advertising and marketing schemes we too were hunted down by the top-level merchandisers of this world. Perhaps you were caught in the schemes they devised. Rather than being a season where we seek the LORD, we too can fall into a trap. We can find ourselves boasting about the cravings of our heart. As the Psalmist says, we bless the greedy and in so doing, we revile the LORD.

The words of the Psalmist ring true, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” 

No room for God… in today’s world? In a perverse way it seems rather appropriate. There was no room for God in Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. No room for God… no room for the Maker and Savior of the universe! That sounds insane, but then it seems we live in a world gone mad.

For you and me, it doesn’t have to be that way. While there was no room for God incarnate in Bethlehem, the magi were busy seeking Him. They were hungry to know more about this Redeemer of Israel and they crossed deserts to reach Him. They came to bow down and worship that babe in a manger.

Regardless of the season, or the season of our lives, you and I can set our hearts to be God seekers. In this season of testing, let’s set our hearts to seek after the LORD.

Response: Jesus, I seek after you. Open my eyes to see you at work today. You are not distant from me in time or space. Show up in my world today. I wait expectantly for you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you seen Jesus in others? How can you seek God throughout the week? What would seeking God look like for you?

Thoughts of a Busy Mind

28 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 63, Psalms

≈ 6 Comments

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Reading:                                      Psalm 63

(Verses 6-11)
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced (NIV).

Reflection
Where do your thoughts turn when you are at rest? Where our mind goes in idle moments, tells us a lot about ourselves. Are you off in the realm of sports, politics or family events? Does your mind graze on pornography or steamy romance novels? Are you plotting your plans for the week or the weekend?

Donald Adam

Setting sun near MacNutt, SK — photo courtesy of Donald Adam

My mind—your mind—is a busy place. And if it’s not occupied with things at hand, it will invent thoughts, opinions and worries to keep self-engaged.

Where did David’s mind go when he was at rest? Here in Psalm 63 we find the answer. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

Rather than worry about the schemes being hatched by his enemies, King David’s mind was focused on the LORD. We may mistakenly believe that being king meant dwelling in a worry-free secure zone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kings in Old Testament times were frequently assassinated. Rebellions and backroom treachery were common. Metaphorically, the king walked about with a bullseye target on his back.

But are today’s followers of the Lord Jesus any different? The true and faithful follower of Jesus is engaged in spiritual warfare. The sons and daughters of the King are target practice for the demons of hell. Temptation comes in a variety of ways. Sometimes it wears a pretty dress. At other times it offers a fast buck or a thrilling escape. Or does temptation simply dazzle and distract us into soul deadening spiritual apathy?

Now here is a thought to consider: Turn your mind to the Lord Jesus through the watches of the night, because you can rest assured he’s watching you.

Response: LORD Jesus, I want my mind to find rest in you. I know that my sins are forgiven and your love for me was proven on the cross. You lived for me; you died for me. You love me. Oh, what joy that thought brings! Amen.

Your Turn: Where does your mind go when you are at rest? Does the Holy Spirit come to change your thoughts?

Meditating on Your Promises

24 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 119, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 119

ק Qoph

 (Verses 145-152)

I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD,
and I will obey your decrees.
I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.
 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
 Yet you are near, LORD,
and all your commands are true.
 Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever (NIV).

Reflection

Meditation. It seems everyone is doing it. Have you taken up meditation? Even the Bible encourages us to meditate. 

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Backyard white wonder — photo by David Kitz

Ah, but there are some fundamental differences between transcendental meditation and the meditation that is described in the Bible. Eastern meditation, which springs from the Hindu religion, calls on the practitioner to relax and empty his or her mind.

Biblical meditation is not an emptying of the mind, or a disengagement with the thought process. Instead, it is active, concentrated thought on a topic, word or Bible verse. On an intellectual level, it has been compared to rumination—a cow chewing her cud. It involves getting the most out of what God has said—digesting His word—so it is fully incorporated into the life of the believer.

Today’s reading sheds light on the profound difference between biblical meditation and transcendental meditation: I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. 

The psalmist is thoroughly engaged with God. He is crying out to Him. He is focussed on the word of God and His promises: I have put my hope in your word.

In the rush of life, do we stop and meditate on God’s word? Is Bible reading just a box to check off as we speed through our day? It’s the LORD who calls us aside to spend time with Him.

Response: LORD God, with all the distractions around me, I want to get in the habit of meditating on your word. Help me to focus my attention and thoughts on your promises. You are good to me. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you easily distracted from God’s word? Do you take it with you through the day?

Your Promise

06 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 119, Psalms

≈ 7 Comments

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Reading:                                        Psalm 119

ז Zayin

 (Verses 49-56)

Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
The arrogant mock me unmercifully,
but I do not turn from your law.
 I remember, LORD, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.
 Your decrees are the theme of my song
wherever I lodge.
 In the night, LORD, I remember your name,
that I may keep your law.
This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts (NIV).

Reflection

Raise your hand if you want a dose of suffering. There aren’t many volunteers when that question is asked. But in all seriousness, we do volunteer for suffering, if we believe there is a benefit.

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National Gallery of Canada — photo by David Kitz

As a youngster growing up on a farm, I remember getting a sliver in my finger. It took some convincing from my mother to allow her to dig it out with a needle. Once that sliver was gone, the suffering stopped almost immediately. A small dose of short term pain brought long-lasting relief.

There’s a similar principle at work in a statement from today’s reading. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

It’s the promise of a better future that helps us endure suffering in the present. I’ll endure the suffering of surgery, if it comes with the promise of a pain-free future. But the LORD’s promises are on a grand scale. He doesn’t just preserve my life for the present; He promises to preserve it for eternity. That’s an enormous promise, but our God is far beyond enormous. How do you measure infinity?

Now let’s return to that sliver. You can’t walk through this life without picking up mental slivers—foreign objects that lodge in your mind. It could be an erotic picture, an emotional scar, or an errant thought that grows into a bad habit. Brain slivers aren’t easily removed. And yes, they fester and become infected. It isn’t long and they may begin to take over your whole thought pattern. You can try to remove them yourself, but Jesus is the best brain-sliver remover that I know. Go to him. A little repentant pain can bring eternal relief.

Response: Father God, remove my brain slivers. Forgive me for allowing wrong thoughts and habits to fester. I remember, LORD, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them. Preserve my life. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there brain slivers that have invaded your mind? Set your mind on God’s promise.

Tumbleweeds and Chaff

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Psalm 83, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 83

Verses 9-18

Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”

Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
Cover their faces with shame, LORD,
so that they will seek your name.

May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth (NIV).

Reflection

Bible scholars believe the psalms that comprise the Book of Psalms were written over a period of about seven hundred years between 1000 BC and 300 BC. One of the challenges of writing something daily about the Psalms is discovering something personally relevant about each scripture portion. What could these ancient writings mean for me today? Is there something in there for me?

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Gatineau Park, QC — photo by David Kitz

Today’s reading illustrates this point. The psalmist is calling for the destruction of Israel’s enemies who have invaded the land and brought death and devastation. In his appeal for God’s help, the psalmist recalls the great victories the LORD wrought in the past. He prays against Israel’s enemies, “Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like chaff before the wind.”

In our daily walk through life do we face enemies? Of course we do. Their names are not Sisera and Jabin or Oreb and Zeeb, but nevertheless we face enemies. They come with names like Discouragement and Depression or Complacency and Apathy. Occasionally, I run into Disappointment and Bitterness. Now those are two tough characters. If you let them take hold, they can pin you down and leave you defeated in no time.

The negative thoughts that we permit can devastate our lives as effectively as any marauding army. That’s why Asaph, the psalmist, calls on the wind of God’s Spirit to blow such enemies away. There is no value in chaff or tumbleweed. Similarly, some thoughts should have no place in our lives.    

Response: LORD God, today I choose to think thoughts that lift me up and bring me closer to you. With your help I reject those thoughts that bring me down. Holy Spirit blow through my life.  Amen.

Your Turn: What thoughts bring you down? What thoughts bring you joy and victory?

Words and Thoughts

13 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

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Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector (Psalm 19:14, CEV).

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Remic Rapids Park, Ottawa, ON, balanced rock sculptures by John Ceprano — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is rock.

Words and thoughts belong together. Thoughts produce words and words produce thoughts. Thoughts and words are the legs of our intellect. They are the means by which we move ideas and events forward. The world becomes a better place, when our words and thoughts are sourced in God. For that reason we should pray that the Holy Spirit would guide our every word and thought. That was David’s prayer in Psalm 19.

Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector (Psalm 19:14, CEV).

Our goal in life should be to please the LORD. Just as a young child wants to please its parent, so our daily desire should be to please the LORD. As my parents protected me as a child, so the LORD protects me now. He is the rock-solid strength that I need.

Response: LORD God, today I want to please you. When angry thoughts come, be my peace. When cruel words are spoken, be my comfort. I want to think as you think, Lord, and speak as you speak. Amen.

Your Turn: What do you do to keep your words and thoughts pleasing to the LORD?

Before I Go to Sleep

30 Monday May 2016

Posted by in Monday Meditation, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

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I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night (Psalm 63:6, CEV).

D Adam Moon 2

Stairway to the moon — photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is sleep.

Our thoughts tell us a great deal about what we value, what attracts us and what we consider important. In general, when our mind is idle or at rest, it turns to the things we love. During such times, David’s mind turned to the LORD. We know this because he penned this verse:

I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night (Psalm 63:6, CEV).

Where do your thoughts go before you go to sleep? Does your mind turn to the Lord as you review the events of the day? Is there a moment of thanksgiving as you consider how events unfolded?

If we love the Lord and are in covenant relationship with Him, then our thoughts should turn to Him as naturally as taking our next breath. Sleep comes easily to those who commit their way and their day into God’s hands.

Response: LORD God, I want my mind to turn to you quickly and easily. I always want to be mindful of your love for me. Your eyes are on the sparrow and on all I do as well. Amen.

Your Turn: Does it require some self-discipline for you to think about the LORD? 

I Think of You

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

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Reading:                                            Psalm 63

(Verses 6-11)

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.

But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced (NIV).

Reflection

Where do your thoughts turn when you are at rest? Where our mind goes in idle moments, tells us a lot about ourselves. Are you off in the realm of sports, politics or family events? Does your mind graze on pornography or steamy romance novels? Are you plotting your plans for the week or the weekend?

Gatineau Park, Quebec --David Kitz

Gatineau Park, Quebec –David Kitz

My mind—your mind—is a busy place. And if it’s not occupied with things at hand, it will invent thoughts, opinions and worries to keep self-engaged.

Where did David’s mind go when he was at rest? Here in Psalm 63 we find the answer. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

Rather than worry about the schemes being hatched by his enemies, King David’s mind was focused on the LORD. We may mistakenly believe that being king meant dwelling in a worry-free secure zone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kings in Old Testament times were frequently assassinated. Rebellions and backroom treachery were common. Metaphorically, the king walked about with a bulls-eye target on his back.

But are today’s followers of the Lord Jesus any different? The true and faithful follower of Jesus is engaged in spiritual warfare. The sons and daughters of the King are target practice for the demons of hell. Temptation comes in a variety of ways. Sometimes it wears a pretty dress. At other times it offers a fast buck or a thrilling escape. Or does temptation simply dazzle and distract us into soul deadening apathy?

Turn your mind to the Lord Jesus through the watches of the night, because you can rest assured he’s watching you.

Response: LORD Jesus, I want my mind to find rest in you. I know that my sins are forgiven and your love for me was proven on the cross. You love me. Oh, what joy that brings! Amen.

Your Turn: Where does your mind go when you are at rest? Does the Holy Spirit come to change your thoughts?