Minding Your Thoughts
A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life
Deuteronomy 28:65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
In this section of Holy Scripture, God is setting forth blessings based on obedience and sorrow based on disobedience. Sorrow of mind can be a symptom of God’s dealing with a person because of disobedience. Sorrow can be caused by many situations that have nothing to do with disobedience on behalf of the one experiencing the sorrow. A parent may experience sorrow over their hurting child. A soul winner may have sorrow over a person who continually rejects the Gospel, or the plight of the homeless, battered, or diseased can cause sorrow.
There is nothing wrong with that type of sorrow, but many times sorrow of mind is caused by simple disobedience to the teachings of God’s Word. God allows this. But why? II Corinthians 7:10 may be the key: For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Our Father in Heaven sometimes allows sorrow in a person’s mind in order to bring that person to Him, or closer to Him.
In Deuteronomy 28 the Lord God, through Moses, gives His people two options. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (vs. 1) This is one option, obedience. The second is found in verse 15: But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Their choice is the same choice God’s people have today. Obey and be blessed, disobey and be cursed. Part of that curse is sorrow of mind.
Consider the certain ruler of Luke 18. He wanted to inherit eternal life, but he refused to believe and obey that which the Lord told him to do in this life. Because of his disobedience (Because he loved his riches more than the Lord) he, the rich young ruler, became very sorrowful and left Jesus. On that day, his mind was filled with sorrow (Luke 18:23). By now, several thousands of years later, this man has learned, eternal life is not inherited (perhaps that is how this young man became wealthy). Eternal life is about obedience to the Gospel. Hearing it, obeying it through accepting it by faith, plus nothing minus nothing. Yes, a thousand times yes, disobedience brings sorrow of mind.
A good shepherd uses two main tools in the trade of caring for the sheep. A shepherd’s crook is used to draw the sheep close to Him; the shepherd’s rod is used to break a limb of the sheep to keep it from continually running away. When God sends sorrow of mind to a person, He is doing His job as a Shepherd, He is protecting His sheep. He may allow them to be broken, but He also always tirelessly attempts to draw the broken ones to Himself. If there is sorrow of mind today, consider why. It may just be that a loving Father in Heaven is trying to bring you closer to Him.
After all, as someone once said of sorrow, “Man can see further through a tear than a telescope.” Remarkably, this is the only place in our Bible wherein the word sorrow and mind are found together. But make no doubt, a sorrowful mind is an abundant ailment, it’s a plague, an epidemic really. In the late 1800’s an American clergyman by the name of F.D. Huntington wrote something about sorrow that this preacher could never write, not in a million years. He wrote, “Sorrow is our John the Baptist, clad in grim garments, with rough arms, a son of the wilderness, baptizing us with bitter tears, preaching repentance; and behind him comes the gracious, affectionate, healing Lord, speaking peace and joy to the soul.” Yes, sorrow breaks, but the Lord can heal up that which is broken. While we may hate the sin that brings about sorrow, thank you Lord for being the Balm of Gilead that heals the sorrowful heart.
May the Lord Bless and be pleased with your thought life today.
Dr. William T. Howe
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