Think on these things

Series-Letters from Prison

Joshua 1:8–9 KJV 1900

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Philippians 4:8 KJV 1900

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

meditate, ponder, give serious thought and consideration to selected information, with a possible implication of speaking in low tones reviewing the material (Jos 1:8);

Psalm 1:2 KJV 1900

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

1. Thinking on Good Things

Colossians 3:2 – "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Romans 12:2 – "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

2. Truth and Honesty

John 8:32 – "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Ephesians 4:25 – "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."

3. Righteousness and Justice

Psalm 19:8 – "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."

Micah 6:8 – "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

4. Purity and Holiness

1 Timothy 1:5 – "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."

Matthew 5:8 – "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

5. Love and Kindness

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

Ephesians 4:32 – "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you."

6. Things of Good Report and Praise

Psalm 103:2 – "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

Hebrews 13:15 – "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

Dr. Elinore Kinarthy in Homemade, Sept., 1988, stated “The average person has more than two hundred negative thoughts a day—worries, jealousies, insecurities, cravings for forbidden things, etc. Depressed people have as many as six hundred. You can’t eliminate all the troublesome things that go through your mind, but you can certainly reduce the number of negative thoughts.

Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Philippians, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2004), 219.

Proverbs 23:7 KJV 1900

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.

* Mark 7:20–23 … And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. [21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, [22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: [23] All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Someone once said, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character reap a destiny!” Based on your thought life, what is your destiny? Here are the things we are to think about. The word “think” in Philippians 4:8 is logizomai which means more than just entertaining thoughts. This word means “to evaluate, to calculate, to consider, to weigh or meditate upon.” The verb form calls for habitual discipline of the mind to set all thoughts on these spiritual virtues. It is a command to obey, not a request to consider

* John 14:6—Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

* John 17:17—Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

* Psalm 119:160—Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

* Psalm 1:2—But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

* Psalm 119:165—Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

God’s Word fulfills the order of what we should be thinking about.

* Psalm 19:7–9 … The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. [8] The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. [9] The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

* Psalm 19:8—The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

* Proverbs 30:5—Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

* 1 John 3:3—And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Impure thinking produces inconsistent living.

* Proverbs 23:7—For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

* Matthew 5:28—But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

* 1 John 3:15—Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

If a container is filled to the brim with a liquid, you cannot add another liquid without causing some of the existing liquid to overflow. The container's capacity is already maxed out, so any additional liquid will displace an equal volume of the liquid already inside.

If the Liquids Are Miscible

: If the two liquids mix completely, like water and alcohol, the added liquid will mix with the original liquid. In this scenario, the overflow will be a mixture of both liquids. However, the volume of overflow will equal the volume of the added liquid, as the total volume in the container cannot exceed its capacity.

Ephesians 4:1–6 (KJV 1900)

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

David said, "thou anointest my head with oil." (Psalm 23:5) Sheep would be pestered by flies laying eggs in their nose and worms would work their way up into their heads. For relief, sheep would beat their heads against the trees, rocks, or posts. They would eventually go blind and even die. Sheep run from flies and will eventually drop from exhaustion. The antidote for this problem was linseed oil mixed with sulphur and tar. The shepherd would apply this to the head, nose, tail area and even the feet because the flies could lay eggs in the hoofs. During mating season, grease was put on the heads and nose to ease the contact of sheep butting heads.

It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that calms the irritations of our life. He clears our mind. Most of the corruption of the world came through the mind. Paul gave us instructions on what to do about guarding our minds.

Romans 12:2:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

2 Corinthians 10:5:

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Colossians 3:2:

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

Psalm 19:14:

"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Isaiah 26:3:

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."

Proverbs 4:23:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Matthew 6:33:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Of course! Here are the verses in the King James Version (KJV):

Proverbs 4:23:

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

Philippians 4:7:

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Matthew 12:34:

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Luke 6:45:

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Jeremiah 17:9:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Psalm 139:23-24:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Matthew 15:18-19:

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

Colossians 3:2:

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Psalm 51:10:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 69:20 KJV 1900

20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: And I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none.

Ecclesiastes 9:3 KJV 1900

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Esther 5:9 KJV 1900

9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

2 Peter 2:14 KJV 1900

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Luke 6:45 KJV 1900

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Proverbs 4:23 KJV 1900

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 27:19 KJV 1900

19 As in water face answereth to face, So the heart of man to man.

Genesis 6:5 KJV 1900

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV 1900

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The Bible provides clear guidance on how to guard our hearts and minds against evil thoughts and inclinations. Here are key scriptural principles to help overcome and resist evil thoughts:

1. Fill Your Mind with God’s Word

Psalm 119:11 – "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Joshua 1:8 – "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

2. Pray for a Pure Heart

Psalm 51:10 – "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Philippians 4:6-7 – "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

3. Take Every Thought Captive

2 Corinthians 10:5 – "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Romans 12:2 – "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

4. Focus on What is Good and Pure

Philippians 4:8 – "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Colossians 3:2 – "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

5. Guard Your Heart and Mind

Proverbs 4:23 – "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Matthew 26:41 – "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

6. Resist Temptation with God’s Strength

James 4:7 – "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

1 Corinthians 10:13 – "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

7. Walk in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 – "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

Romans 8:5-6 – "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."

8. Renew Your Heart Daily

Ezekiel 36:26 – "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Lamentations 3:22-23 – "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

My four-year-old granddaughter, Amanda, went to the doctor’s office with a fever. The doctor looked in her ears and said, “Who’s in there? Donald Duck?”

She said, “No.” He looked in her nose and said, “Who’s in there? Mickey Mouse?”

Again she said, “No.” He put his stethoscope on her heart and said, “Who’s in there? Barney?”

Amanda replied, “No, Jesus is in my heart. Barney is on my underwear.”

Elesha Hodge, ed., Today’s Best Illustrations, vol. 1–4, Today’s Best Illustrations (Christianity Today International, 1997).

In describing one of the new movies of the day, a critic wrote, “The plot moves rapidly down the sewer.” It would not be so damaging to those who watch such trash if the mind could be equipped, like your kitchen sink, with a garbage disposal. Then you could flush away all the filth and be done with it, but the mind does not work that way. It stores up impressions for a lifetime. The only way to protect the mind is to expose it to only the best!

AMG Bible Illustrations, Bible Illustrations Series (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Danger of an open mind.

Psalm 101:3 KJV 1900

3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Philippians 4:7 KJV 1900

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. John 14 27

John 14:27 KJV 1900

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Romans 10:10 KJV 1900

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:57–58 KJV 1900

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I do not know what the heart of a bad man is like, but I do know what the heart of a good man is like, and it is terrible.

—Ivan Turgenev (Russian writer, 19th century). Men of Integrity, Vol. 2, no. 4.