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Thoughts Are Powerful
Andrea Lende • August 1, 2020
Numbers 13:33
Thoughts are Powerful
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Thoughts-Are-Powerful-ehgrlj
Daily Word:
Numbers 13:33
“There we saw the Nephilim [or giants]; the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
Moses had sent leaders to spy out the people and land of Canaan.
All but two of the leaders came back afraid.
They saw what they called giants who inhabited the land.
They saw that there were many of them.
The most powerful part of our verse today is, “and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers”.
They saw their size and it was small in comparison to the giants.
And they were frightened.
The Lord intended His people to live in this land.
It was beautiful and rich in provision for them.
He wanted the best for them.
But fear overtook them.
They weren’t relying on God and what the Lord could do.
They were thinking about their abilities in the natural.
They became very upset.
They wanted to stone Caleb and Joshua and find a leader to take them back to Egypt.
The Lord’s wrath was kindled.
None of these leaders or their families were allowed to enter the promised land.
All because they measured their size to the size of the inhabitants.
They had no faith in what God could do.
And because they focused on their size, the giants perceived them as small too.
Our thoughts are so powerful.
The things we think about ourselves are projected onto others, so they think the same thing too.
If we really understood this, we would only think good of ourselves.
And if God wants to give us good things, we should open up our hearts to Him and allow Him to do the heavy lifting for us.
He can cover our deficiencies.
He already has a plan.
As we follow His guidance, He will lead us to the promised land that He intends for us.
Today I choose to believe in the plans that the Lord has for me and think thoughts that are uplifting about me.
May you find that the Lord shows you how He sees you so that you can think wonderful things about you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me more wisdom about the thoughts we think. Thank You for showing me that my thoughts have an impact on others and the way they perceive me. Help me see me as You do so that I can think more like You about me. Help me see the beauty You created and the strength You have infused in me. Keep me from lessening Your perfect plan for me, Lord. Keep me from thinking and saying destructive things about me. Increase my faith so that I am able to walk into the promised land You have set aside for me. Help me receive all the blessings You still have in store for me. Keep me from destroying Your perfect plan for me. Help me lift others up instead of tear them down. Set a guard upon my mouth so that I do not destroy, Lord. Keep my thoughts upon You and Your strength, protection, and care for me. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM working beside you, My child, to bring you into victory.
Response: Help me do all that You desire for me to do, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.