October 11, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

How much higher are the Lord’s thoughts than the thoughts of man? They are higher than the heavens are from the earth. It is unclear how far this is; of course, man can measure the atmosphere from earth to space but notice the word “heavens.”  This not only speaks of the general atmosphere around our globe, but also speaks of the “heavens” beyond our atmosphere. This means it is impossible to measure in that the “heavens” have not been completely located, charted, cataloged, or observed by man. This means God’s thoughts are infinitely higher than man’s thoughts.

Think about this. When a preacher preaches the Word of God he is preaching the thoughts of God. Those thoughts are infinitely higher than man’s thoughts. So, it is no wonder that some feel that the preacher is “preaching down to them.”  He is! He is preaching the high things of God to fallen man. Doesn’t it make more sense to have a preacher preach the high things of God in a way as to elevate those to whom he preaches to a higher level of understanding and living rather than to have a person preach down on the level of man? Man’s philosophies, man’s thoughts, man’s remedies, man’s understanding of the eternal hereafter, man’s ideas of religion, and so on and so on. These thoughts of man are just that, thoughts of man. But the thoughts of God, those are infinitely higher than the thoughts of man

Frankly, the thoughts of man may be fine concerning the things of man. For example, if a person desires to know how to catch fish on Lake Texoma they need to find someone who knows how to catch fish on Lake Texoma. The want-to-be fisherman can obtain the thoughts of the one who is doing the fishing so that they may also be successful in catching fish on that lake. In every endeavor of life there are those who can help, those whose thoughts on any matter can make a difference between success and failure. But with the things of God, things eternal, things spiritual, things of the unseen world, of everlasting life, these things can only be learned from the study of God’s thoughts on the matter. Books written by man concerning the things of God are wonderful and extremely helpful; however, they fall far short of the actual reading of the Word of God. Many will read a man’s book but forsake to read God’s Word.

If any person desires to know the thoughts of God, read the Bible. This is why God inspired men to write His thoughts, preserved those writings, and protected them through the many issues of translation; so that the human race, everyone, could have His thoughts. He wants us to know His thoughts perhaps more than we want to know them. But think about this, the Word of God does not give us all of the Lord’s thoughts, just the ones He wants us to know.

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

Dr. William Howe