March 11th, 2025
There is an oft-quoted verse in the Bible that has been on my heart for several weeks. Jeremiah 29:11 says,
‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to bless you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a good future.”’
Another translation starts this verse with, “For I know the thoughts I think toward you…” Have you ever considered God’s thoughts? The Bible has a lot to say about the mind in general, but it specifically references God’s thoughts many times.
Look at just a few of these verses:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.” (Psalm 139:17-18a)
“You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.” (Psalm 40:5)
I encourage you to read those verses again. God’s heart is more vast than we could ever understand. He knew all of us, individually, before we were born. He keeps count of even the hair on our head. We are not a passing thought in God’s mind. If we understand that truth, we won’t live or pray to get God’s attention. Instead, we will pray from the reality that His thoughts toward us are so numerous they couldn’t be counted – they are more than the sand. He has good plans for us, and when we pray and align our hearts with His thoughts, we will see heaven come to earth.
David wrote two of the verses above and it is no wonder when we look at his life. David was the youngest son of his father, Jesse. The prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse at God’s command to choose a king from among his sons. Jesse was told to call his sons, and he gathered all of them…except for David. David was disregarded by his father and undoubtedly insignificant to society and his brothers. Some speculate that David was illegitimate and that’s why his father didn’t call him, but it could also have been because he was so young. Regardless, he was not summoned for the selection of a king. Not even his
own family considered that the prophet could have been sent by God for him.
1 Samuel 16:5 -13 tells the rest of the story:
“And Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.’
David, a young shepherd, would not have been Samuel’s choice for a king. In truth, he would not have been anyone’s choice. If you were tasked with choosing the leader of a nation, would you not look for someone with experience? However, God loves to choose those who appear unqualified. We can never disregard anyone, regardless of where they have been, or even who they are now. God has written a good story for every human being that’s ever breathed, and we are called to believe for God’s best for every single one.
Look again at 1 Samuel 16:6:
“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
God commanded Samuel not to be distracted by the outward appearance of David’s brothers, because God knew David’s heart. While David was out caring for sheep, he was building a relationship with the creator of the universe. God knew David’s heart when no one else did. God saw David when no else did. God had plans for David when no one else did. David was not perfect, and the Bible does not filter his mistakes, but he was called “a man after God’s own heart,” because he lived a life of worship. God can use one who is in love with Him more than one who appears to be qualified. God doesn’t need our skills; He is looking for our devotion.
To conclude, I want to share a section of scripture I saw this week like never before. 1 Corinthians 2: 7-12;16 says,
“We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”
In this verse, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote about a “secret and hidden wisdom,”– something we, as the church of Jesus Christ, get to know and impart. It is truth revealed to us by the Spirit of God. What is that secret wisdom? I’d never realized before it was connected to the following verses, but Paul goes on to say,
“For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God… “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”’
Who knows a person’s thoughts except that person? No one. So also, only the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. However, Paul is teaching here that by the Spirit of God, we get to know, understand, and reveal the thoughts of God. By the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ. This is how to live with a renewed mind. It’s not by changing your own thoughts, but by allowing your thoughts to become His thoughts. The Holy Spirit, dwelling in our hearts, will reveal the thoughts and plans of God, if we will only listen. This is the secret and hidden wisdom that will change the world. It’s the heart of God revealed to humanity. He wants us to know His thoughts, to know His heart, so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross so the veil could be torn. He gave everything so we could become the holy of holies – the temple of God Himself. Today, I encourage you to remember that His thoughts toward you are as numerous than the sand. He gave everything so you could hear His thoughts and know His heart – for you and the world around you!
‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to bless you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a good future.”’
Another translation starts this verse with, “For I know the thoughts I think toward you…” Have you ever considered God’s thoughts? The Bible has a lot to say about the mind in general, but it specifically references God’s thoughts many times.
Look at just a few of these verses:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.” (Psalm 139:17-18a)
“You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.” (Psalm 40:5)
I encourage you to read those verses again. God’s heart is more vast than we could ever understand. He knew all of us, individually, before we were born. He keeps count of even the hair on our head. We are not a passing thought in God’s mind. If we understand that truth, we won’t live or pray to get God’s attention. Instead, we will pray from the reality that His thoughts toward us are so numerous they couldn’t be counted – they are more than the sand. He has good plans for us, and when we pray and align our hearts with His thoughts, we will see heaven come to earth.
David wrote two of the verses above and it is no wonder when we look at his life. David was the youngest son of his father, Jesse. The prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse at God’s command to choose a king from among his sons. Jesse was told to call his sons, and he gathered all of them…except for David. David was disregarded by his father and undoubtedly insignificant to society and his brothers. Some speculate that David was illegitimate and that’s why his father didn’t call him, but it could also have been because he was so young. Regardless, he was not summoned for the selection of a king. Not even his
own family considered that the prophet could have been sent by God for him.
1 Samuel 16:5 -13 tells the rest of the story:
“And Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.’
David, a young shepherd, would not have been Samuel’s choice for a king. In truth, he would not have been anyone’s choice. If you were tasked with choosing the leader of a nation, would you not look for someone with experience? However, God loves to choose those who appear unqualified. We can never disregard anyone, regardless of where they have been, or even who they are now. God has written a good story for every human being that’s ever breathed, and we are called to believe for God’s best for every single one.
Look again at 1 Samuel 16:6:
“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
God commanded Samuel not to be distracted by the outward appearance of David’s brothers, because God knew David’s heart. While David was out caring for sheep, he was building a relationship with the creator of the universe. God knew David’s heart when no one else did. God saw David when no else did. God had plans for David when no one else did. David was not perfect, and the Bible does not filter his mistakes, but he was called “a man after God’s own heart,” because he lived a life of worship. God can use one who is in love with Him more than one who appears to be qualified. God doesn’t need our skills; He is looking for our devotion.
To conclude, I want to share a section of scripture I saw this week like never before. 1 Corinthians 2: 7-12;16 says,
“We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”
In this verse, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote about a “secret and hidden wisdom,”– something we, as the church of Jesus Christ, get to know and impart. It is truth revealed to us by the Spirit of God. What is that secret wisdom? I’d never realized before it was connected to the following verses, but Paul goes on to say,
“For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God… “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”’
Who knows a person’s thoughts except that person? No one. So also, only the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. However, Paul is teaching here that by the Spirit of God, we get to know, understand, and reveal the thoughts of God. By the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ. This is how to live with a renewed mind. It’s not by changing your own thoughts, but by allowing your thoughts to become His thoughts. The Holy Spirit, dwelling in our hearts, will reveal the thoughts and plans of God, if we will only listen. This is the secret and hidden wisdom that will change the world. It’s the heart of God revealed to humanity. He wants us to know His thoughts, to know His heart, so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross so the veil could be torn. He gave everything so we could become the holy of holies – the temple of God Himself. Today, I encourage you to remember that His thoughts toward you are as numerous than the sand. He gave everything so you could hear His thoughts and know His heart – for you and the world around you!
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