This is a popular saying; 'For as he thinks in his heart so is he'. And it is from the Scriptures. In Proverbs 23, the writer was teaching us that the words of a man and his actions could be very different from his thoughts; and that in the final analysis, the thoughts of that man defines him- not his words, not his actions. Every man is a product of his thoughts. Good thinking, good product- what brand is that again? Let us bring some thoughts to light today.
Thoughts are so private, so personal to man. Whatever I say, is out in the open already. Whatever I do is up for everyone to see and judge. No one has discovered yet the art of telling a man's thoughts. You see, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks…but can you tell what fraction of the abundance are the man's words? The best psychologists can only try. The One who created man said 'The heart is deceitful above all things … who can know it?' (Jeremiah 17:9). No wonder the thoughts in a man's heart are God's primary focus as He looks at the man. The whole world could consider a man as very wise, and yet before God, that man is foolish because his thoughts are vain. (see 1 Corinthians 3:19-20). Can I jolt you a little? There are secrets about that man- yes, your husband, and that woman, your wife that you may never know until we all appear before God. (See Romans 2:15; Micah 7:5). That is how much we do not know of any man. Only God knows man. (See 1 Kings 9:38b)
I'm sure you remember how God chose David among eight brothers in 1 Samuel 16. Samuel- one of the greatest prophets ever- saw the firstborn and exclaimed 'Surely the LORD's anointed is here!', but God told him 'common boy, look at the heart, that's where I'm looking.' (1Samuel 16:7 paraphrased). Then the prophet became a seer at that moment. He saw through to the hearts of each of the seven brothers until they sent for David in the wilderness. Now I am interested in this man called David. How could a man strike God like that? What was his heart like? In fact, God gave this testimony about David; 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart…' It is interesting to note that God said this in 1 Samuel 13:14, before the anointing service of chapter 16. Where was David as at that time? He was still very much the shepherd boy. He was then so far from the throne, but so close to God's heart; so the throne was only a matter of time.
We have established that God sees all men's hearts and David in particular was chosen because of his heart. God said somewhere else to someone else; '… the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them that whose heart is perfect toward Him…' (1 Chronicles 16:9). Is that enough to say David's heart was perfect towards God? Is it what God meant by saying David was 'a man after His own heart'? How can a man's heart ever be perfect towards God? Is that man thinking like God then? God Himself said 'as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.' (Isaiah 55:9), so what kind of man was David to hook up on God's thought frequency just like that? I'm curious, don't know about you. Centuries after David had gone, God would still say things like 'he did (did not) what was right in My sight, and did (did not) walk in the ways of David My servant' (2 Chronicles 17:3; 28: 1; 34:2).
Moses also learned something in his walk with God. Scriptures say '(God) made known His ways to Moses, (but) His acts to the children of Israel' (Psalm 103:7). (And we know a person's actions or words are just a small fraction of the abundance of his heart). Moses also knew God's thoughts! Oh, was that why the Book said Moses was a man God talked to as a friend does to a friend? (See Exodus 33:11, and you will not find the word 'friend' anywhere else in the whole of Exodus, as if to drive the point home). Only Moses, in that generation thought like God!
If a man is what he thinks, can a man upgrade his thoughts to the level of God's? That looks like a tall, tall dream considering that too many people live without God in their thoughts at all. (Psalm 10:2-3). And you will be amazed at how well they seem to be doing. It appears life could be so figured out, and you don't need God that much. Few fools will come out and say 'there is no God', but so many people are there who have settled the matter IN THEIR HEARTS like Psalm 14:1 puts it 'The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God…' No wonder David and his son agreed that the place to begin on the path of wisdom is to acknowledge (or fear) God. (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). And in a book where King Solomon tried to get meaning out of life, he concluded by saying 'Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment; for this is the whole duty of man' Ecclesiastes 12:13. Then he said God would judge every work, and every secret thing (thoughts), whether it be good or evil. How can you ever hope to be good outside fearing God? How do you ever hope to live wisely outside God? Common, think again!
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