Thoughts: "Oh, I know, I know…"

Are these your thoughts? “I know all the stories. I’ve heard it all before. I’m so bored with the church. And personally, I really need my rest.” These thoughts come in, (and God  does liken us as ‘sheep’), and we actually ‘believe’ these thoughts! They become our ‘truth!’
But God…Do you think of Him? You can’t see Him, but He’s there. He knows that men are imperfect! He knows that churches that even have sound doctrine and maintain to adhere to the word of God, the Bible, as their foundations, are imperfect! God knows all of this- but God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the worlds and all the universe, the One Who gives us each and every breath that we breathe, The One who faithfully provides us the sun to rise each morning and to set at the end of the day to give us rest…His thoughts… what are HIS THOUGHTS?  Do you remember, they are not like ours:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8,9).
And He is so big, as you already ‘know’, but do you remember that it is also true:“…for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Do you remember that when Adam and Eve ate the one and only forbidden fruit (in the midst of every other tree that was permissible), knowledgable now of their ‘nakedness’, that they thought to take care of it intelligently and industriously sewing itchy, uncomfortable coverings for themselves-But God didn’t wait for them to ‘think straight’, in fact, they were occupied in playing the ‘blame game’ when asked about their ‘fall’.(Gen. 3).
God knows our thoughts! God knows our ‘imperfectness’! God knows there is no help apart from Him. Do you remember what God did? OK, He told us the ‘curse’ that both the man and the woman would face, ‘the pain of childbirth’, the ‘sweat of the brow’ in work, and you ‘know all of this,’ (and best remember that this wasn’t God’s intention for man, this was the ‘fall of man’ NOT GOD!) HOWEVER, …
this isn’t just a story you’ve heard before, this is about you and me, today! We are His Adam, we are His Eve,(because we are all sons of Adam and Eve), and we try to ‘cover’ ourselves and all the ‘wrong’ with ‘itchy things’. Things that will never satisfy. Somehow, there’s always an ‘itch’ for MORE!
But God, “…for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21). 
Please, Please, Please – STOP for ONE MINUTE and ‘LET GOD’ clothe you with His love. Do you ‘know’ that is what God desires? Do you remember His thoughts? “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; …”(Ps. 139:17). 
OK, so you’ve ‘known’ this verse, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ” (Jer. 29:11). But have you ‘thought’ to stop and let God clothe YOU with this truth? This is not just a verse that you ‘know’. Do you ‘believe it’ ? What are you thoughts?
Get alone with God. Wrestle with Him. Give Him your thoughts, and allow Him again to enter His truth in yours.
Remind yourself again the things ‘you know’: “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:12).
Get alone with God. Wrestle with Him. Give Him your thoughts, and allow Him again to enter His truth in yours. You know that it is true: “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God…” (1 Cor. 3:18,19).
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”(1 Cor. 2:7).
Search out the mystery of Christ in God’s word and be clothed in God’s love and promises: “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9).
Take off the ‘ol itchy garments of a ‘self propelled’ life apart from God’s grace and love. As John the Baptist shouted in the ‘desert place’ so long ago. Listen to his words. Today – yes – all us ‘imperfect people’: Change direction! Confess your failures, guilt and sin! Let God clothe you. Receive the Lamb. And start ‘knowing’ over and over again the same old truths in a new light each and every day.
Lamb’s skin instead of ‘itchy leaves’…“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Is. 55:12,13).
Did you know all that? Get right with God. Remember what you ‘knew’ “Jesus loves me! This I know…”
Oh, and yes, that old song that we all know all too well, clothe yourself with this: Jesus loves me! Loves me still, Tho’ I’m very weak and ill; That i might from sin be free, Bled and died upon the tree…Jesus loves me! He will stay Close beside me all the way; Thou hast bled and died for me, I will hence-forth live for Thee…”

Author: Toni Rypkema

I'm a believer in Jesus. Because of this, I am married to a wonderful husband and the mom of a large family. For those who have battled cancer, or any other tragedy or disease, you might understand, I had a choice to get better or bitter. I chose to give thanks to Jesus for my every breath. For that reason alone, wanting to proclaim His goodness, do I write - Toni