Thoughts for the Day

Proverbs 21:5-6 (AMP):
5 The thoughts of the (steadily) diligent tend only to plenteousness, but every one who is impatient and hasty hastens only to want.

Proverbs tells us that certain good virtues produce wealth, while evil virtues lead to lack and death. In verse 5 we are told that having plenty involves our thought life. Negative thoughts bring about negative things in our lives, while positive thoughts and a good outlook produce good things. The Bible tells us that actually the things that manifest in our lives have a deeper origin, and that place is in our hearts.

In Proverbs 23:7a it says: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:----"

The heart of man is his spirit, while the mind is in the soul. Man is a spirit, and he has a soul, and he lives in a body. Of course, all men think with their minds, but it is the spirit man that influences the mind. If a man is unregenerate and has not been "born again," he will by his own sinful nature be influenced by ungodly imaginations. Once we are "born again," we then are given a new nature and heart (spirit), therefore we now have access to the Holy Spirit and the "mind of Christ." If we yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit, we will do that which is right. The devil will still try to tempt us by putting evil ideas in our minds and tempting us in the flesh, but we now have the power of the Holy Spirit to cast down those imaginations and put the devil to flight.

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 it says:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

This is the hard part...training your mind and spirit to Godly to obedience. We have a little dog named Shaggy. We have tried and tried to train him not to bark. He is so much better than he was when we first got him. But its that last little hump we are trying to get over so he will be obedient to our commands not to just bark at everyone. Its like that with us sometimes. We are just on the edge and need that extra push in some areas of our lives so we will be obedient to Christ. So don't give up...just look up!