Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Psalm 139:17-18

By

Psalm 139:17-18    "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  (18)  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!"  What is the reason for someone to constantly be in your thoughts? I can think of two reasons immediately. One reason would be that you felt someone did you wrong. In that case, the thoughts would not be considered precious; rather, they would probably be vindictive thoughts that would constantly cause you to be troubled. The second reason that someone is constantly in your thoughts would be that you feel very close to that person and your heart is turned to them with great affection.  At that point, your thoughts would be great and you feel highly blessed.

My question this morning would be, "How often do my thoughts turn toward God?"  On any given day, what would be the number of hours in which, at some point, my thoughts turned toward the Almighty in a loving and thankful manner?  As I realize how negligent I can be, today's passage tells me that God does not neglect me. Not only does He think of me, His thoughts are precious and constant. The passage indicates that if I fully understood the manner in which God thinks about me, they would be so precious that the glory would overflow my very being. But not only are the thoughts precious to me, the passage indicates they are precious to God. Can we grasp that?  God thinks precious thoughts toward us and they are very personal. They are directed only to our individual hearts. Can we receive the impact of that this morning?  God does not only think of us at any given moment in any particular hour, His thoughts are constantly coming toward us.

We read in the book of 1 John 4:19,  "We love him, because he first loved us."  God first loved us even when we were unlovable, God loved us. When we were enemies of God, He loved us. When we stray from Him, He loves us. When we are sleeping, He loves us. When we are awake, He loves us. When we are broken, He loves us. When we are in the prisons of our own minds, He loves us. Do we get the idea now?  His thoughts toward us are precious because He loves us.  His love is that Agape love that is absolutely unconditional and never ending. I suggest you take a moment to read Jeremiah 29:11 and Jeremiah 31:3.  God loves us and has a definite plan for our lives. Let that soak in and then may our thoughts be lofty concerning Him.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Colossians 1:25-26

By
Colossians 1:25-26    “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;  Even   the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” In verse twenty-four, Paul has expressed his joy in bearing hardship for the church. It is of this church, the body of Jesus Christ, that he is made a minister. Since Paul used the phrase “made a minister” in verse twenty-three of this same chapter, it seems there is something important that he wishes to convey. The Greek word translated as “made” means “to cause to be.” It was the will of God (Col 1:1) that caused Paul to become a minister. God is always the cause of true ministry. Although our fathers may be ministers, if we become true ministers of the gospel it is  not  because our fathers are ministers. True ministers of the gospel do not take that path because they seek honor for themselves, or b...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Matthew 6:9-13 (3)

By
Matthew 6:9-13    "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  (10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  (11)  Give us this day our daily bread.  (12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  (13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." When others might go away from us, God has promised never to forsake us. When others might not be truthful, our Father in heaven is faithful and full of truth. When others cannot understand our feelings, our Heavenly Father knows exactly how we feel and is able to empathize with us. In fact, He has told us that He is "touched by the feelings of our infirmities." He is stirred when we are sad.  Our relationship with Him is of th...
Read more