DAILY WORD 10/12/21
26. The LORD detests evil plans, but he delights in pure words.
Proverbs 15:26 NLT
Today’s Passage is another that reveals God’s attitude concerning the untoward actions of humankind and, conversely, His ideas toward righteousness as well. However, this one goes a bit farther than that. This Passage exposes His stance on the very thoughts and intents of an individual.
Every Christian and most individuals that care to look knows that God Hates evil. The actions of individuals that cause harm or defy His Will are so displeasing to the Lord that He has enlarged Hell to accommodate those who refuse to repent of them. But where do these behaviors stem from? What causes people to sin in the first place?
The reason sin enters into a person’s conduct is they allow the thoughts that lead to them to be entertained in their mind. In other words, they think about sinning. But what’s so wrong with that? Thinking isn’t a sin, right?
Well, Proverbs 23:7 begins by saying, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” So, in answer to that question, technically no. Entertaining an idea of a sinful action in and of itself is not necessarily evil. However, if that thought is not immediately recognized and removed from the mind, there is a danger that it will grow into something worse.
If you are a “good person” and an evil notion is introduced into your mind, you should be alright as long as you expel it and do not entertain it. But what of those that think these thoughts all the time, refusing to banish them? Well, the first portion of this Passage in the KJV reads, “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD:”
That seems pretty clear to me. But as with all things, there is a flip side to this coin. What does God think about the thoughts of the righteous? The second part of the Passage reads, “but the words of the pure are pleasant words.”
Taken in conjunction with the NLT version, they make it clear that even as God Hates evil actions and thoughts, He Delights in righteousness however we display it. Since He Knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts, we don’t only have to act to please Him. We can simply think pure thoughts and still please God.
Therefore, when unpure thoughts threaten to overcome our minds, swaying us toward impure actions, it is imperative that we rid ourselves of these ideas before they become the seeds of evil deeds. Only then, when our minds are purged, can we please God.
But with the inundating wickedness that confronts us every day, how can this be achieved? We must do all we can to fill our minds with thoughts of righteousness, combating the negative thoughts that come to us through our phones, our televisions, and our philosophies.
To keep a pure and pleasing mindset, we must first recognize and identify the unpure things that confront us and be ready and willing to rid our minds of them the moment they rear their heads. Only then can we be sure that we are generating a mind state that will Delight the Lord.
Given what we face today, that requires constant vigilance on our parts. Do you have that kind of dedication, or are you letting in whatever the enemy throws at you? Just something to think about the next time you unlock your phone and take a scroll.
Have a Terrific Tuesday and Remember, As A Man Thinks In His Heart, So Is He!
#dailyword
