December 18, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

This is how the believers in the Lord today should be. We should not walk any more after the imagination of an evil heart. In order for this to be possible a new heart is needed. In order to have a new heart two things are required and both of these are mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel.

The first thing that is needed is to understand that the responsibility of obtaining a new heart is an individual responsibility. Ezekiel said: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:31) If any person desires a new heart they can have one. It is up to the individual. Once an old fashioned preacher said, “I go to the honkey tonks as much as I want to; I drink as much whiskey as I want to, and I play cards, gamble and fight as much as I want to. Praise the Lord; I just don’t want to do those things anymore!”  When a person sincerely wants a new heart and is willing to do the things that will give him a new heart, he will have a new heart.

The second thing that is needed is to understand that the responsibility of obtaining a new heart is also a responsibility of the Lord God, for He led Ezekiel to say: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)  Someone may say, “Those passages are Old Testament, they are not for today.” May I remind you that while the entire Bible was not written to us, it was written for us? Romans 15:4 proves this: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Obtaining a new heart so that an evil imagination can be eliminated is a mutual responsibility of both the individual and the Lord. We do our part; He does His part. Remember, “Work as though it is all up to you and pray as if it is all up to God.”  This powerful combination works: always has, and always will.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William Howe