What Does God Think?

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward Psalm 40:5

Who can know the thoughts of God? Who can fathom the knowledge of the Almighty? The thoughts of God are not like the thoughts of man. The thoughts of God are far higher and loftier and wiser than man’s thoughts. My heart today is somewhat curious. I began to wonder the other night about the thoughts of God. My simple reflection is this, “What does God think of me?” Now, I know right now some men are scheming out grand theological thoughts and philosophies about God thoughts towards me as far as salvation, sanctification, and righteousness. But I want to be far simpler than those ideas. I wonder today, “What does God think about certain things on an intimate level?” Let us think for just a moment about, “What does God think?”

I began to ponder, “What does God think of creation?” On the days of God’s creation, He declared with a thunderous voice, “It is good”. He delighted in the handy work which He labored to form. But now after years of sin have ravaged His creation, what does He think about it? Does his heart break as he looks at the barrenness of the African desert? Does His eye fill with tears as He looks at the pollution that fills the skies over the cities of the world? What does He think of creation?

I began to wonder, “What does God think as He looks at our churches?” Is He satisfied with the work we are accomplishing or is He frustrated because of the division that splits our aisles? What does He think of the words that come from the pulpits? Is He angry at the apathy we have towards sin? Is He fuming because we fail to uphold His commandment to go into all the world. Does He look at your congregation and repent at the fact He paid such a high price for you? What does God think of our churches?

My mind was ultimately led to the thought, “What does God think about the Christian?” What does He think about you? What does he think about the testimony you maintain? What does He think when He looks at your life? Could it be said of you that you bring joy to the heart of God? Is He pleased with your attitude? Is he thrilled with your witness? Is He happy at your tone towards the hurting souls that surround you? Sadly, in the day we are living, worldliness has permeated our churches and poisoned Christians? So I leave you with this sobering thought, “What does God think when He looks at you?”

Praise Ye The Lord

Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart... Psalm 111:1

At one point in his life, this psalmist had been to the lowest pit of life. He had rolled around in the filth of his depravity. He had floundered in the loneliness of broken relationships. He had walked through the valley of the shadow of death. He had known defeat. But this day was different. When the sun rose on this particular morning there was a different feel in the air. Instead of begging for relief, he was basking in blessing. His cup wass full and running over. The winds of time had driven the darkness out of his life and had ushered in a season of praise. He breaks out into a psalm of praise that the sweet Holy Spirit preserves in the Word of God.

He gives thanks for several things, but there is one thing that has caught my eye as I read it. He says, The works of the Lord are great. Everything the Lord does is great. When looking at His mighty work in creation you have to say, The works of the Lord are great. When thinking about His deliverance of the children of Israel from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, you have to say, The works of the Lord are great. When giving thought to the mighty victory over the Philistine giant, you have to say, The works of the Lord are great. When thinking about the fire on mount Caramel, you have to say, The works of the Lord are great. When you think about the Hebrew boys being saved from the fiery furnace, you have to say, The works of the Lord are great. When you contemplate His feeding of the five thousand, you have to say, The works of the Lord are great. When you think about the way God sent Jesus to redeem us from the curse of sin through His shed blood on Calvary, you have to say, The works of the Lord are great.

If the Lord is great in all of these circumstances, will he not be great in your life? If He raised the dead, can He not send salvation to your family? If He kept the barrel full for the widow, can He not send bread to your table? Many times we are quick to give up on the Lord because He is not moving in our time. Remember, the works of the Lord are great. Let the Lord move your life in the direction He wants it to go in. Allow Him to have control over the things that control you. God is a great God and He wants to do great works through you. Just remember as you go through life listening to the scoffers and mockers, the works of the Lord are great. Then you can say like the psalmist, Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart.

The Thirsty Soul

…If any man thirst, let him come unto me…
John 7:37

Take your mind captive for a moment and race it back over two thousand years ago. Go across the ocean and land in the land of Israel. Go to the heart of the land into the city of Jerusalem. Walk down the street of the city and march up the steps that lead into the temple. Push your way through the crowd of beggars and paupers who were not allowed in the inner court and tune your ear to hear the voice of the Great Teacher. Listen as Jesus begins to give the greatest invitation that has ever been given. Watch the Great Master at the feast of tabernacles as He holds up a cup of water for all to see. He looks beyond the upper echelon of Pharisees and looks to the poor men and women who are not allowed to come into the temple. He knows they are hungry. He knows their dry, parched lips long for the refreshment of water. He says with a booming voice that has echoed through time, Come unto me, and drink the everlasting waters that will quench your eternal thirst. Imagine the joy that filled their hearts. I imagine that some even jumped up in excitement and cried aloud, “I am thirsty!” “I want to sip from the well that will never run dry.”

The same call still rings from the pages of God’s word. The Savior still calls all thirsty sinners to the river that never runs dry. He is still calling parched lips to come and drink from the deep well of His love. He calls all the men and women who have wandered far too long in the desert of decision. He offers the cup of eternal life to anyone who will come. He tells all men, Come unto Me. Dear sinner, do you feel abandoned in this world of sin, Come to Jesus. Sister, have you no fountain to drink from, Come to Jesus. All who are lost and lonely, Come to Jesus. Even the Christian who feels as if they are abandoned in the desert of life, Jesus begs you to come and drink from the fountain that will refresh you. It has deep reservoirs from which it gathers its supply. Oh, want you come today?

I Believe God

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me
Acts 27:25

I can imagine being on that ship with the apostle Paul in the sea that night as the winds and waves crashed against the vessel. Can you imagine the fear on the faces of each of the men on the ship? Try to imagine how you would have felt if you had been on board that night. Imagine the darkness that would have encompassed you on every side. Imagine the water as it rolled over the sides of the ship. Think about the rain as it poured out of the sky. It was coming down in sheets so fast that it is nearly impossible to get your breath. Now, take these visuals and begin to think about the fear that would have gripped your heart. This is what real terror is like. It is knowing that you have no help and no signs of hope.

If you were on the ship that night, you would have seen these frightened men. You would have also seen a sight that night which far surpassed all the other sights. You could have looked over that night to the side of the craft and seen an aged man, the apostle Paul. As you stare into his face, you notice something different. You notice that he doesn’t look fearful. In fact, he doesn’t even look worried. As you stare deep into his eyes you see, peace. In fact, the apostle was so peaceful that the Bible says he yelled out to the other men, “Fear not”. What?! How can this be? How could there be two reactions to the same problem. Both sides were going through a storm. Both sides were being tossed to and fro. What has happened to make the difference between fear on one side and peace on the other? What could have caused such a stark difference? The answer can be summed up in three words, “I believe God”.

Paul had been given a promise by the angel of the Lord that he was going to make it to the other side. God had told Paul that he would make it to Rome and stand before the Caesar. He had heard from the heavens that he was going to make it through. He knew he was not going down for the count because he believed God. He knew that there was not a storm powerful enough to take him down because he believed God. He was unwilling to allow his circumstance to dictate how he was going to interpret his future. He refused to allow the pessimistic attitude of his fellow shipmen to bring him down because he believed God. He had been given a promise and he was going to believe God.

I was giving this thought on the radio the other day when an older lady called the church office. She gave me her story and shared with me how much this thought had helped her. She said it wasn’t the fact that this was a new thought I had presented, but she just needed to be reminded of the fact that she needed to believe God.

My friend, I believe this is probably the same situation many of us are in. The fact that we need to believe God over the sayings and comments of the world is no new thought. It has been preached ever since the apostle Paul said it under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Even that night on the sea, those sailors had probably heard it numerous times throughout their lives. They didn’t need to learn that thought, they just needed to be reminded of it just like we need to be reminded of it. Friend, this isn’t a thought you haven’t already heard hundreds of times, but let me say it again, “I believe God”. When the world says no and God says yes, “I believe God”. When the doctor says death and God says life, “I believe God”. When the banks turn their heads, “I believe God”. When all hope is gone, I believe God”. When the world says it is over, God will have the last word. “I believe God”.

The Storm of Sin

…The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God…
Psalm 9:17

In August 2005, the storm of all storms was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a storm that would forever change cities. It would wreak havoc upon hundreds of families. As Hurricane Katrina was churning over the warm waters of the gulf, fear was gripping the hearts of thousands as they sit in its potential path of destruction. As that overwhelming storm made landfall, it forever altered the lives of thousands. For over 1800 people, it ushered them to the doorpost of death.

As you sit here this day, there is a storm brewing over this nation. It is churning like a hurricane over warm water as it constantly gains strength. It is getting worse and worse. Soon this storm will be too large to control and will be too great to handle. Where is this storm? Is it churning in the Atlantic? How about the Pacific? Does its origins resonate from the Gulf of Mexico? The answer is, No! This storm is brewing in the hearts of men and women from coast to coast. It is booming from Washington to Raleigh. It is flourishing from Wilmington to Asheville. It is moving across the heartland of the Republic to the Canyons of Arizona. An evil is settling into the souls of millions. Wickedness is inhabiting the hearts of people all through this land. It seems there is a dark cloud of fear and turmoil that is ushering in the storms of sin.

You don’t agree? You don’t believe this is the truth? You may think I am an alarmist. You may believe I am just a pessimist. Allow me a moment to illustrate my point. How can a child kill classmates in cold blood? How can thieves murder a man in a Convenient store over a pack of cigarettes? Why would a man blow his paycheck on a pint of whisky instead of feeding his family? Why would a mother put a newborn in a dumpster just because the baby cries for milk? Friend, there is a cloud of wickedness that is on horizon and God Almighty is the only one who can stop it.

Why should we care? What difference does it make to the Christian? Besides, “This world is not my home, I’m just passin’ through!” My friend, I do agree with you on that point, but we should still worry about this storm of sin. We should care because this storm will affect our children. This storm will be a cloud over our grandbabies. Your children will go to war zones instead of classrooms because of this storm. They will learn about homosexuals instead of the Almighty Creator. They will learn how to practice safe sex instead of abstinence. Something is wrong! What will you do? Will you sound out the warning? Will you sound the alarm that the storm is coming? For you see my friend, when the storm gets here, it will be too late! Let us get a burden and pray to the God of Heaven to save us from this wave of wickedness. May this be the day we stand up and tell people about this sinful storm.

The Captain Of Our Salvation

…To make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings…
Hebrews 2:10

The fierceness of battle is something that every soldier prepares for, but very few actually look forward to. It is something they hope and pray is averted through the avenues of patience and diplomacy. When the inevitable day comes and battle commences, many emotions and thoughts quickly shuffle through the mind of the soldier. One feeling that certainly comes into their mind is the feeling of confusion. What are they supposed to do? Where are they supposed to go? Confusion and fear on the battlefield will assuredly lead to defeat and death. When uncertainty fills the soldier’s mind, and leaves him lost, all he has to do is look for his commanding officer. The ranking member on the battlefield sends out the order that takes the soldier from confusion to action because of their training. No longer does he have to wonder; now he can war. He no longer has to fear; now he can fight.

What comfort can this bring to you? Where can your heart find solace in this thought? Well, most assuredly you know we are in the battle for our lives. This is a fight we have never experienced before. No, physical warfare may not be raging in your home. You may not wake up to the sound of gun fire. You may not see the smoke from canon fire. But rest assured my friend, spiritual battle is furiously exploding all around you. We are in the fight of our lives.

In times like these, feelings of bewilderment can take hold of our heart and ultimately leave you in fear. You wonder, “What will be the outcome of this battle?” You think, “Will I make it out of this battle?” When you are engaging in the spiritual battles of faith and family, don’t let confusion be the dominating feeling. Don’t let fear grip you in the night. Look up to the Captain of your salvation. You see, He stands on the battlefield with you. He is sounding out the orders, saying, Fear Not, I am with thee. Let the peace of God keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Keep your eye on the Captain and your ear attentive to His order, for then, confusion will flee and understanding will enter because He hath not given us the spirit of fear.

I like the definition for the word “captain”; it means, “a person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief; leader”. Aren’t you glad Jesus is still in control of all things? He still has all authority and dominion. He is still in possession of the keys to death and hell. Do not be afraid just because you are in the battle. My friend, we are all in the battle of our lives. Have no fear, the Captain of our salvation sill stands with us in the battle. Now is the time we, Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

The Power of One

For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel…
II Chronicles 28:19

King Ahaz was a wretched man. He was responsible for bringing a nation into idolatry and wickedness. He could have easily turned his heart toward God and shown the nation the power of God. He could have led the nation in casting down idols and images thus brining to their attention the wonderful Savior. Did he do it? No! He decided to let his wicked wife dictate what would be. He let her cold heart and pagan gods drag a nation into destruction. The choice of one man led an entire nation into destruction.

“Nothing happens in a vacuum”. I once had a college professor who said this all the time. He made reference to this statement almost every class period. What does it mean? It means that no action is void of consequences. It further means that no one person’s actions affect just that one person. You see, my decisions will affect someone else whether I want to admit it or not. You disagree? My friend, let me offer a rebuttal to your opinion. Ask the mother whose husband is a drunk if his decisions affect her. Ask the son whose parents abandoned him if their decision affected him. Ask the country if the king’s decisions affect them. Ask the daughter who would love to meet her mother, but cannot because of a drunken driver. You are not alone in your world. Your decisions have far reaching affects. What are you doing today that would leave detrimental consequences on those you love? Today is the day to change your ways while there is time.

Have you not yet been persuaded about one man’s actions? Do you need further convincing? My friend, let your mind race to the Garden of Eden. Find the lone man in the garden. Watch as he takes the fruit from his wife. Behold him as he draws it towards his lips. Now watch as his lone act of disobedience plunges the entire human race into depravity. Oh the effects of one man’s action. That one story has forever changed the eternal destiny of millions.

Are you still unconvinced of the far-reaching effects of a singular action? When I think of the actions of one man affecting others, my mind is immediately drawn to the Blessed Son of God. Just as the sin of Adam reached into the chasms of time; so did the blessed Christ’s actions reach through the ages. Oh the depth of His love for you! Oh the grace that brought His love down to man! What love and compassion found in one man’s actions! What great effects it has had on my life!

Your actions today will hurt or benefit those surrounding you. What will you chose to do? Will you continue in that action that you know is wrong? Will you continue to mire through the sin of life? Or will you chose to follow the model of Jesus Christ and decide to let holiness be the line that you measure your life against?