Walk of Life, Day 12 – August 2020-Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs
*The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are Deceit* – Proverbs 12:5
The meaning of righteous according to the Cambridge dictionary is “morally correct”. A man can be called Righteous based on his words and his deeds as it is visible and audible. However, it is interesting to read that the thoughts of the righteous are right.
After pondering over this verse, I am afraid to even think that I am righteous. Yes I am washed by the Saviour’s blood, filled with the joy of salvation, and I sing often with my children the following chorus:
” I shall not be I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that is planted by the waters I shall not be moved”
Is this not a promise given to a righteous person as we read in Psalm 1:3?
Oh I pity myself! I have been thinking so long that I am righteous as my words are gentle, I help the poor, feed the needy, care for the oppressed, love the unloved, do things with the fear that my God who is called by Hagar, the Egyptian woman, as El Roi, watches me continually. The same El Roi God watches my thoughts as well. How did I forget that?
Many times, even without my own knowledge, I had been thinking wrong about my colleague, I have estimated myself much better than my neighbor, I have been filled with jealousy with every achievement of my own friend, and have reflected a proud attitude with my spiritual talents. Oh the greatest of them all is many a times, I have been immersed down with worries and found pleasure in being sad and drenched with ill feelings. May our Lord be merciful to such a sinner like me whose thoughts were not right.
That’s why the prophet Jeremiah says in chapter 17 and verse 9 that “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”
The world teaches many ways such as doing meditation, being silent, and focusing on what to achieve. However, the best and only way will be to determine to practice the teachings of apostle Paul as he says to the church at Philippines 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Also, we need to set our minds on things above as we read in Colossians 3:2.
May the grace of our Lord speak to us and touch our hearts and minds so that we will be transformed as righteous by being right in our thoughts.
