thoughts, literally

tonight someone next to me started sputtering about how they don't have time to think about God. that was the mildest of statements in their rant against "religious people," along with the declaration of, "i don't have time for religion." i asked why and let the absurdities continue to fly around me because quite frankly i was too tired to try to answer. one of those things where i didn't even know where to begin so i let it go.

if you don't have time to think about God then what are you doing with your time? i immediately judged and thought about how everyone who doesn't know God is wasting their time with thoughts that will not amount to anything in the end. and as usual the judgment came back to me like a jagged boomerang as i realized that i am just as guilty, if not guiltier. after all, i claim to know God and i have a LOT of wasted thoughts. everything from worries and judgments to fears and all sorts of zoning out on the internet. (while i don't veg in front of the tv, i certainly veg in front of facebook. yuck.)

so what are my best thoughts? the thoughts i'd consider worth my time? i'd have to say the thankful ones. the ones where i end up dwelling on the constant stream of God's goodness and faithfulness in my life. those moments i look around and squeal or sigh because i am suddenly aware of how blessed i am, how great my life is and how much i have to be thankful for. those thoughts are way better than the ones where i compare myself to others, give into fear or bury myself in pointless worries.

i actually read this verse this morning from Proverbs 1:23 - "Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings." i wrote a bit about it and prayed that God would reveal His thoughts to me. how awesome that the God of all creation is willing to pour his thoughts out to us?! not just reveal one or two, but pour them out, wow. and there's a 23 like my age, maybe this is a special year of God pouring out His thoughts to me? i really want the Holy Spirit to take control of my thoughts. i feel like out of that, everything else will come into alignment. i don't want to even stay at a place of taking every thought captive one by one. i want to live in such close communion with the Lord that He sparks every thought inside of me. a place of purity where my mind is ruled by Him and every thought is a reaction to who God is. or something like that.

that God led me to that verse this morning is so funny to me now at the end of my day. it's like He knew what i would hear all day and He was preparing me for it. (way to be a champ and finally realize the Lord knows you and every step ahead of you and loves you enough to equip you for it all ... sheesh chels.) He was filling my spirit with His thoughts at the start of the day so i would constantly come back to them. He gave me ample warning to dwell on His thoughts so i could be ready to answer for Him when He needed me to. God is so faithful like that. i hate that i'm so slow in returning the favor to Him.

"While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’" [Jeremiah 33:1-3] ... i've always loved this verse, because i so wanna know the great and unsearchable things! Jesus consume my thoughts!