Our minds are mental greenhouses where unlawful thoughts, once planted, are nurtured and watered before being transplanted into the real world of unlawful actions... These actions are savored in the mind long before they are enjoyed in reality. The thought life, then, is our first line of defense in the battle of self-control.
~Jerry Bridges
Are you a puddle jumper???????
or do you just plunge in and get drenched in the water of God's word?
There is a verse in Psalms 1 that talks about being a tree along the river, flourishing, always green, bearing fruit...ALWAYS the envy of other wilty, withering trees...
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
...but if the wilting trees would just read the verse above they would find the key:
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
I can read a little perpetual verse-a-day calendar on my desk each day...or a lengthy passage. But if I don't ask God to reveal the depths of this treasure and meditate on it throughout my day...it makes no difference. And I will be all wilty and withery...and surely fall prey and be defeated in this battlefield of the mind.
This is a song I sang as a little child which still remains so true...especially the last two verses:
I am grateful for a defense strategy given to me by God for this daily battle.
Love the song - I've not heard it before. I won't forget it either.
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