How many times do you think God is mindful, or thinks about us?  Psalm 139:17-18 reads: “How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.” Jeremiah 29:11 reads: “11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

     So I guess we can conclude that God thinks about us all the time, and of course being God, His thoughts are always good toward us.  How about our thoughts about Him? How often?

     Jesus asks us to remember Him for a reason – He knows it will keep us close to God, and therefore keep us more in line with God’s will for us, as Jeremiah said, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. The original word for plans in Hebrew is machashabah (makh-ash-aw-baw) which more literally means thoughts. God’s thoughts about us are for our welfare and not for harm, to give a future with hope.

     Some people see a difference in the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament, which according to the Bible (especially Malachi 3:6) is false teaching because God does NOT change. Also, according to the Bible (especially 1John 4:8) God is love. Lastly, according to the Bible (especially Colossians 2:13-14) God has forgiven us completely and erased our sinful record.

     We should remember that Jeremiah was speaking to people who would be in captivity in Babylon for nearly seventy years. Knowing God’s good thoughts toward them is the only thing that kept them going. The same can help us go through whatever we must endure. It also gives us confidence in His love toward us. From Hebrews 4:14-16: “14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” 

This is especially true in times of need.

See ya Sunday, in person or on the internet - www.fccpensacola.org or www.facebook.com/timthepastor. 

All glory and honor to God.  Peace and blessings, Tim.