Clear Those Stray Thoughts out of Your Mind

“How precious are your thoughts of me…”

We have lots of stray dogs that travel through our neighborhood. A pair of a rather large breed has set up residence, at least part time, in our yard. They come back often. While I like big dogs, I know whose these are so I can’t claim them for my own. Other dogs come into the yard and repeatedly trash things. They might strew things that are on the deck or they might even try to get into the trash. We holler and tell them to get but they come back again.

Our minds can wander too can’t they? Sometimes it seems that our minds want to linger on the same thing over and over. Bad memories, mistakes, wrong thinking like to show up on the doorstep without invitation. Wrong thoughts like to trash our hearts and minds. Out of nowhere those thoughts show up and try to ruin us. If we let those thoughts stay or feed the memories, they grow bigger and bigger.

The only way to keep our thoughts in line is to practice the presence of God and rehearse His Word. Without God’s presence to guard us and without His Word to remind us, we’ll have a constant stream of stray thoughts playing in our minds. But when we start using the Word of God as our weapon, the only one we have, the spoken Word has much authority and the enemy has to flee.

Oh beloved, God’s thoughts about you are precious! They are good and right and comforting! God’s thoughts towards you won’t leave you reeling in past mistakes or rocking over future fears. Two strays will always want to come into your heart and those are past regrets and hard times. Yes, you’ve made mistakes, you may even be living with terrible regret. But God says as far as the east is from the west is how far your sins are from Him. He has forgiven it all. Everything you’ve ever regretted is under the sea of forgetfulness. Those thoughts may return but you can meet them at the property line of your heart and say be gone! Confessing your mistakes and your sins to God lets you know and the enemy know that you mean business with the Lord. It’s a no trespassing sign beyond measure. There are also troubles you may be dealing with and things can look bleak, but God’s Word is true. The enemy may try to parade your desperation back to you, but again you have a high fence of protection around your heart and mind as you read the Word and speak the Word. As you pray to the Father and ask for His help He’s there. As you look away from your circumstances to the Father’s heart you see that those trespassers in your heart are just vapors. Whatever your problem is, beloved, you have God with you and His Word to speak over it, so that you can rejoice as God cleans the yard of stray thoughts.

How precious are God’s thoughts about you! His Word is True. He goes on to say that His GOOD thoughts about you outnumber the sands. Try counting grains of sand and you will quickly see that the sum of those wonderful thoughts about you, His beloved, are more than you can count. Rejoice in His truth, rehearse it often, spend plenty of time with God and you will see that stray thoughts will cease to be a problem in your heart and mind.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s an impenetrable fortress no enemy can get through as you live in the light of His Word all the days of your life.

Psalm 139:17-18 How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!

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

Ephesians 4:23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 103:102 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Psalm3:3-5 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; You are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.

You are Indeed Beloved of God!

Forty one years ago today Danny and I had our first date. I know many of you don’t believe in love at first sight, but I will tell you this: once I met Danny face to face I never wanted to date anyone else and he felt the same way. Call it what you want, we clicked, we committed, we became a couple. I did everything I could to find out all about Him. His likes, his tastes, his hobbies, his feelin...gs about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The more we spent time together the more comfortable I was with him. The more I went out with him, the more I enjoyed his presence. He literally was perfect for me. I can tell you it’s been a wonderful life.

Thirty-one years ago I met Jesus. This too was love at first sight. Once I met Jesus face to face I never turned back. We clicked. I was committed. I began a lifelong plan to find out all I could about Him. I have studied to know His likes, His dislikes and more. I know His outlook on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I can tell you it’s been a wonderful life, living in Christ.

My life with Danny has managed to have a storybook ending in many ways, but we’re imperfect people making concessions for one another, overlooking faults and mistakes. We’ve learned a lot about things from one another. Because of Danny’s love for me I’ve learned about loyalty, faithfulness and truth. He will not lie no matter what. He remains my one and only love and I have remained His.

My life with Christ will have a storybook ending as well – the Book tells me that He is My one and only Savior. No one else will do. He is faithful to me and faithful to His Word. I’ve learned everything that’s worth knowing from Him. Because He loves me unconditionally, I know He can be trusted. His Word is true. He is my Savior and I love Him more and more each day.

Oh beloved, there are things you need to know about the Lord that you won’t know if you don’t give your life to Him completely. Halfhearted allegiance to Christ is about like being half married. And that’s not possible. He knows everything – everything about your life, about your challenges, about your disappointments and more. He knows more than you do – He knows how many days He has given you, what lies ahead and He knows how to love you unconditionally and yet completely. He’s not a man that He should ever lie. He is honor bound to His Word and His Word is honor bound to Him. You can trust Him with your whole heart for your whole life. No one else is so trustworthy. No one else can meet all your needs. No one else will be there for you no matter what. Whatever you are facing, He is with you for the long haul. Whatever you are dreading He will come in and walk with you. He is the Great I AM and He loves you.

He’s calling you today and He’s asking you to step up to a closer walk. It may seem a little fearful to put your trust in Someone like Him, but it’s worth it. He will take your life and guide you through every wreck, every valley, every mountain, every flood, every change in seasons, positions, friendships and more and stay with you all the way.

He loves you and He calls you beloved. He’s for you and He’s going to remain with you, on your side, forever. Pick up the Word and find out everything you can about Him. His love is real and His care is perfect and that’s all that matters as you live in the light of His love.

I John 4:9-10 God showed how much he loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Psalm 117:2 For He loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?

Psalm 33:18 But the Lord watches over those who fear Him, those who rely on His unfailing love.

Psalm 27:8 My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming”

Psalm 139:17-18 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!

Every Word of God is a Precious Jewel for You!

When I was a girl, my mother wore lots of jewelry. She loved large beads and dangling necklaces. She also wore earrings all the time. They were the clip-on kind. I still have several pairs of those earrings. As I started wearing jewelry I loved the delicate gold chains and small lockets and pendants. I didn’t like those large “gaudy” kinds that many women wore.



It’s funny but now I love big clunky jewelry! The bigger the better! I like to wear scarves too. I also love dangly earrings! The things I thought were for “older ladies” I now love! I don’t know if it’s age, eyesight or just changing tastes, but I have fun with the pieces of jewelry and scarves I wear. I like my blouses to have “bling” on them as well. I really think it’s a combination of all three things: age, eyesight and tastes. Age, because we begin to value our mother’s things more as we get older. Eyesight, because we need things larger to see them better. Tastes because we want more of what we like.


I’ve kept mother’s jewelry, and even some of Danny’s mother’s jewelry, in a carefully stowed away box. But I find myself wanting to see their pieces more often. As I handle them I remember certain events where they wore each piece. I remember the occasions that we may have given them a piece for a special time. The older I get the more I want to remember things that were important to them.


Whether you are young or old there are a lot of beautiful ornaments you can wear as a Christian. You can wear the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. The Word of God is your greatest and more valued piece. Most of all I feel God is encouraging us to learn God’s Word and keep it close to us daily. The days are growing colder, darker and shorter. We are going to need the value that comes from knowing Bible verses and Scripture passages more and more.


I find that as a maturing Christian I see my need to wear more jewelry – to invest my heart and mind in more of the Word. It’s not that I’ve given up on life and am settling into an old time religion, but rather that I am finding more strength and vigor from the Word for my daily needs.

God has given you a complete book of His precious jewels! He says in His Word to wear them, to bind them around your neck, to tie them to your forehead, to nail them to your doorway. Everywhere you go, He says your best asset, and your most valuable item is His Word. As the days wear on you will find that their value increases, unlike old costume jewelry which tarnishes and fades with time. While you may hesitate to wear antique jewelry, these special jewels of the Lord grow stronger and stronger and build your faith all the way to heaven!


Oh beloved, run to your jewelry chest, the Word of God this morning! Pull out the verses you have so lovingly read all your life. Then look at all of God’s Word and find beautiful new verses you may never have read! Handle them often. Wear them daily! They will only increase in value in your heart and mind as you put them on. God says to you this morning, you are my precious child and I want you to know all about Me. I AM the One who sets the stars in the heavens and your life’s every need is found in My Word. When you take My Word in and live in it’s light you can overcome obstacles and rest in my promises. You may have been told you are of little value, not worthy or used up, but I AM the one who decides your value and I AM the king who gives you all the riches of My kingdom.


Open your gifts today beloved and wear them! For the King of the Universe has given you access to every precious necklace, bracelet, earrings and more. He loves you and He’s for you and His Word will keep you safe and full of wisdom, power and love all the way to heaven.



Proverbs 3:3 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.



Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.



Psalm 19:9-10 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb



Psalm 119:72 Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.



Deuteronomy 11:18 So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.