Psalm 8:1.
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Ephesians 4. The Mind of the Spirit (Romans 8:26) captured the attention of the spirit of my mind (Ephesians 4:23) in the passage that included a verse I reference in every devotion:
Ephesians 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
We have not received Christ to walk as other Gentiles (Ephesians 4:17, 20). All who are His hear His voice, and are taught by Him (Ephesians 4:21; John 10:20; Romans 8:9-11 with John 16:13). What does He teach each? We are instructed to “put off … the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22). The process is to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23). It is through this renewing of the mind that we are “transformed”: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
We have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16): by His Spirit, through His Word, He has revealed His mind to ours. The spirit and the mind are closely connected (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 4:23; see Philippians 1:27). Our soul engages the physical world through our body, and in those actions, it is indistinguishable (Leviticus 7:18, 20, 25; 17:10, 15; Numbers 19:22). The soul interacts with the spiritual world through our spirit and this manifests in our mind. When a man looks on a woman and lusts for her, he has committed adultery in the thoughts of his heart (Matthew 5:28). As deeds are the actions of the soul in the physical world through our body, our thoughts are the actions of the soul in the spiritual world through our mind. That’s why we must “mind the things of the Spirit,” and not the things of the flesh (Romans 8:5-9).
Along the still waters, I reflected on these things. Christ’s Spirit dwells in our hearts (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6). In the thoughts of my heart, the Spirit pressed on my spirit the importance that I “mind” (verb) the thoughts of my “mind” (noun). This is because my thoughts are actions of my spirit that take place in my mind. The Mind of the Spirit is sensitive to the spirit of my mind.
What thoughts occupy my mind are “things” put in front of the Spirit of Christ. I prayed He would help me develop a sensitivity to His presence.
I recall that when courting Mrs. Scheidbach, I was very sensitive to saying anything that might offend or displease her. I would go so far as to excuse myself from her presence if I had to, as the Scots say, ‘rift’ (bring up wind, or burp), or if an accumulation of digestive gases discomfited me and it became necessary to ‘farzen,’ as my Germanic ancestors would put it. Consider how delicately I am laboring to convey this poignant point out of my respect for your sensitivities. Shall we not be sensitive to what might offend the Mind of the Spirit, who dwells in our hearts? Moses had such sensitivity to the presence of GOD: “Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thysef abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee: For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee” (Deuteronomy 23:12-14).
Shall we not be appropriately sensitive to the odors of our spirit expressed in the thoughts of our mind in the Presence of the Holy Spirit?
It’s easy to become so casual with a familiar friend or our spouse that we become unmindful of their sensitivities. After 52 years of marriage, despite being so familiar with one another, this respectful attitude has relaxed, but only slightly. She is very careful regarding her appearance and manners, and so am I. Love engenders respect and respect sensitivity.
Shall we not be mindful of the Mind of the Lord and be careful what we allow to occupy our minds? God has equipped our sword with a paddle. We use the sword to execute the will of God in our warfare, and the paddle to cover the unpeasantries. Our Sword is the Word of God, and in the Word of God, He provides the paddle: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He covers what we confess.
In the valley, shadowed by His Cross, where He shed the covering blood of our atonement and cleansing (1 John 1:7), I presented my confession and sought the cleansing of my flesh and spirit in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Better to use the “paddle” than to be paddled (Hebrews 12:5-8).
He spoke the daily call to discipleship: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
At the table, He continued His exhortations to mind (verb: in the sense of paying attention to) our minds (noun, identifying the place where our spirit initiates thoughts) and to mind (verb: in the sense of obeying) His Mind as it is revealed to us. We have the “Mind of Christ,” let us bring every thought into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5): Mind His Mind and yours.
He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed us into the harvest.
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
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