“I hate those who are double-minded, but I love Your law.” Psalm 119:113

The thoughts that fill our minds are indicative of where our interests lie, even though God “fashions the hearts of them all” (Psalm 33:15).  Our hearts all end up being very different, and our thoughts are all influenced by the things we see, hear, and read.  We need to be careful, because these relate to most of the temptations we encounter in the world – “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life”  (1 Jn. 2:16).  Any wrong desire in these areas “is not from the Father, but is from the world,” John continues to say.

            Wrong thinking is described in Genesis 6:5, which says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”  That was true about 6,000 years ago and is still true today.  Centuries later King David told his son Solomon, “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9).  This excellent advice is just as fitting for us today as it was for Solomon.

            Jesus said that our thoughts affect our words, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). We need to pray daily for grace to have right thoughts at all times, because we are not able to do it on our own, using our own will power.  The Psalmist gave us a wonderful prayer that we should use on a regular basis: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14).