The Bible Edge
Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have the Bible Edge
Genesis 23:8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
How’s your thought life? It has been said by many preachers over the years that the number one battle Christians fight is the war in their mind. Many of our problems are imagined and not real. Controlling one’s mind is vital in living a life that pleases our Father in Heaven. Through study it is learned that the number of times the words mind, thought, think, and all their derivatives are used in our Bible is 365 times. This fact proves that our Father in Heaven wants us to know a lot about thinking and has given us all the tools needed to develop a healthy thought life. So, let’s travel through the Word of God and look at some of the Scriptures having to do with our mind, thoughts and thinking. Perhaps these short devotions will provoke meditation in your own mind and help to renew that mind daily. Through these devotional thoughts you will learn some of that which God wants you to know about your mind and thinking. May God bless you in this area and may your mind draw closer to Almighty God.
The first time the word mind is used in Scripture is in the above verse. Abraham lost his wife Sarah to death. Being a sojourner in the land, Abraham had no place to bury his dear wife. A negotiation began concerning a plot of land that Abraham desired to purchase from Ephron. During this negotiation Abraham stated something that is overlooked so often today. As he was speaking with the sons of Heth, citizens of Kirjatharba, he said: If it be your mind that I should… confirming he knew something that would be good for all to remember for a lifetime. It’s an edge, a Bible Edge.
The Bible Edge is this: before we act, make any decision, or choose to believe anything we must first know our own mind. This instills confidence, it causes us to be proactive not reactive, and it allows for all questions to be considered before a decision must be made. Yes, it takes time to know your own mind, it takes introspection, it takes energy to think, sometimes it takes humility to ask others for counsel, and it takes practice. But knowing your own mind is something of real value. It will help you out maneuver your competitors, energize your activities, solidify your forward moving momentum in life, and will keep you away from your own emotionally based weaknesses and biasness. Try to know what and why your mind thinks the way it does, and as Abraham did, encourage those around you to do likewise.
May the Lord Bless and be pleased with your thought life today.
William Howe, Ph.D.