May 20, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

Zechariah 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

The answer to the Lord’s question in this verse is yes. The words and statues that God commanded did take hold of the father’s generation. The second part of this verse proves that they did. God’s words always take hold, they do not return void. Isaiah 55:11 states: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

We have proved in other devotions that God’s thoughts can change toward us based upon our decisions in life. Therefore, the responsibility for receiving blessings or chastisements from God is squarely on our shoulders. To know how to please Him we must know His thoughts. Do you remember, just a day or so ago we dealt with the truth that God wants to communicate His thoughts to man?

Along this line of thinking is a great lesson on leadership; good leaders are good communicators. They let their thoughts be known, they lay out clear guidelines, dreams, goals, and action steps to accomplish those goals. Many times, leaders fail and become disenchanted with their followers, not because their followers are incompetent or uncaring, or lazy, but because they as leaders have not shared their thoughts in such a way as to motivate their followers to action. Also, what God says He will do, He does. Today’s verse validates this. Leaders would do well to do what they say they will do, but that is another lesson for another day.

Parents, employers, ministers, leaders of all stripes would do well to do as God does. Let your thoughts be known. Use the proper approach, the proper forum, the proper judgment, and the proper communication tactics to let your followers know your thoughts.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William T. Howe