Think on These Things

The world in which we live is fast becoming an environment in which we can easily suffocate if we allow it.

The news abounds with world affairs that are pretty frightening to put it mildly! Wars, and threats of wars, terrorism, extreme weather events, diseases, financial crises; the list goes on and on!

All of these gloomy things could cause us to despair. And if we are only focusing on these events on what we are hearing and seeing we are looking at a hopeless state of affairs.

Can we find any hope at such a time as this? … Yes, we absolutely can!

That hope we all need is found in the Man this world has rejected. But those who receive Him by faith come into a multitude of blessings that go beyond our comprehension.

Those two lovely portions of the Word of God give to us every reason to be glad and hopeful. All we must do is take them to heart, think on them, and own them in order to be encouraged when everything around us appears gloomy.

The Bible encourages us to nurture and protect our minds and thoughts, because we can all too easily become overwhelmed or influenced by what we see and hear happening around us.

But God has given to us a countless amount of things with which to occupy our minds. He has given every reason to be grateful which ever way we turn and in all circumstances. And in case we might have a problem starting, the Bible the best place to begin:

When we make the time to get to know God intimately through the Lord Jesus Christ, everything changes! He even encourages us Himself to do this very thing: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11: 29.

The more we get to know Him; the deeper and more intimate our thoughts of Him are, the more established we will be our minds and less inclined to be overwhelmed by ‘the spirit of fear’ and depression.

It is worth understanding that Paul the Apostle who wrote those beautiful words was a captive in jail because his testimony and preaching of the Gospel was not tolerated by those he was led by the Lord to preach to. There in that dark and gloomy place he had every reason to be downcast and fearful, but this letter he wrote to the believers in Philippi was a letter of joy!

He knew where joy, peace, and rest was found. The One in whom he trusted was the source of these wonderful characteristics. And he established these traits in his life. He occupied his mind with them and many others, and proceeded to write a list of some of things with which our minds can be safely occupied, writing them individually, and deliberately, encouraging the reader to muse upon each item.

Living by example, having learned by experience, he was able to guide and nurture other people to do as he did. He knew without being arrogant in any way that his example was a good one for others to follow.

He was saying as it were that: ‘if you do like I do “the God of peace shall be with you”, as He is with me.’ And as God was with him in that dark jail settling his soul with quiet confidence, he knew that God would do the same for anybody who would do like he did.