Last year my family and I took a trip to Missouri; while we were there, we went through the Talking Rocks Cavern in Branson. Wow, it was amazing: the many steps that were taken down into its depths (and the many steps walked back up!), the varied types of formations to see, the stories behind the discoveries of these formations, the knowledge of our tour guide, and of particular interest – the way in which these beautiful formations came to be. It was artistry by the finger of God and His “paintbrush” or medium of choice to create was water, minerals, and time.
These formations, including the large “angel” like structure pictured at the top of this email, were formed by the steady dripping of water from the roof of the cavern. Each drop of water deposits its minute sediment, thereby growing the structure. The next drop will do likewise, following the path of the previous drop, and adding its own sediment to the previous. The “icicle of stone” grows longer and thicker; it takes shape and begins to strengthen.
This is not unlike our own hearts; every thought that drips into the soul makes its contribution to our character, developing the strength of what we will become, for good or bad. Little by little, drop by drop, thought by thought, the ideas you think on and hold on to make the formations of your personality and contribute to your soul’s end. This is why God spoke through His servant Moses these words found in Deuteronomy 5:1; “And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.” To “keep” is different than to “do.” Doing is simple obedience to those statutes and judgments; to keep them is to hold them as precious and to guard against anything which would erode them from first place in your mind.
May every “drop of thought” be chosen by us to God’s glory and praise and to our benefit and strength, but it is a choice. Paul urges us to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). And to the Philippians he exhorts them to think on the good, true, and blessed things. (Phil. 4:8)
The above thoughts are particularly relevant to our Decency Minutes this week. Our first DM urges us to have daily devotions and meditation upon God’s Word. This is the most vital of thought habits if we hope to have “formation” of a transformed mind, one that will keep us strong and focused, one that will stand the test of time.
DM 2 points to the realization of DM 1. If we had guarded our minds, keeping them by God’s Word, we would not have allowed those thought drops which are foreign to God’s will to distract us from truth. Our nation would have stood firmly against Communist or Islamic or Leftist ideologies which are destructive to our nation, our families, and our individual selves.
When we get to DM 3, it becomes obvious how not guarding our thoughts as a nation leads to individual hurt and community harm. I found the phrase “I wish I never brainwashed myself” more than interesting. What we think is what we become, our thought life develops our character, drop by thought by drop.
Might we warn ourselves and our children and grandchildren that what we allow in our minds and what we think on does affect us: songs, shows, movies, books, social media, friends, etc. May we build our thought life and character around God’s words, commands, and judgments – “may [we] learn them, and keep, and do them.”
One of my favorite times of day is my quiet time with God each morning. Being fed by the Word and reading devotional books from various ages blesses my soul. Learning from these stalwarts of the faith encourages and strengthens me. It puts me in a right frame of mind which leads to right living.
JR Miller penned these words over a century, but they are still fitting for today: “A verse of Scripture in the morning may become a blessing for all the day. It may sing in the heart as a sweet song, from morning until evening. It may become a liturgy of prayer. It may be a guide through perplexing tangles, God’s voice whispering cheer, and a comforter breathing peace in sorrow.”
I encourage all of us to open each day with the Lord, and to think on Him often.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a stirring defense of western civilization, urging European leaders to re-embrace the principles of freedom and the Christian heritage they’ve abandoned, warning that “decline is a choice.”
Worldviews aren’t equal and cannot co-exist. Europe found that out with the influx of Islamism.
“Mass migration is not some fringe concern of little consequence,” Rubio stated. “It was and continues to be a crisis that destabilizes societies across the West.”
Yet the root problem is a spiritual crisis. Western civilization was forged in Christianity, and can’t survive without it. As Europe and the U.S. abandon the Christian faith, other ideologies fill the void.
The nations which sent the gospel around the globe, have squandered that sacred inheritance, as Rubio called it. What made western civilization great can only be reborn with a return to that faith.
How many transgender shooters does it take to recognize the harm caused by this mental and spiritual delusion?
Last week a man who now “identifies” as a woman targeted and killed family members at a hockey game, because they refused to affirm his transgender identity. The week before that it was an 18-year-old man in Canada, also claiming to be transgender, who killed nine and wounded dozens more.
This follows the assassination of Charlie Kirk, whose killer was motivated by transgender ideology, and the mass shooter at a Minnesota Catholic school whose manifesto stated: “I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brainwashed myself.”
All within six months and all reacting out of hatred for those who do not affirm their delusion.
Ideologies which go against God’s design have consequences, not only for the individual, but for those whose blood stains hockey rinks and schoolrooms.
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