A couple quick thoughts on Chapter 7 of "The Bruised Reed" (and yes I know I skipped Chapters 4 - 6). The chapter was about help for the weak and the temptations that can come upon us and disrupt the peace we have in Christ. Regarding the effects of sinful thoughts, Richard Sibbes says:
"And if there were no devil to suggest, yet sinful thoughts would arise from within us, though none were cast in from without. We have a mint of them within. These thoughts, if the soul dwell on them so long as to suck and draw from and by them any sinful delight, then they live a more heavy guilt upon the soul, hinder our sweet communion with God, interrupt our peace, and put a contrary relish into the soul, disposing it to greater sins." (p. 47)There are many good things to pull out of that quote, but I'll just choose one for now. Sibbes brings up the importance of guarding our hearts and minds from sinful thoughts. As he goes on to say later, all sin arises originally from a sinful desire or thought. Dwelling on these temptations and sinful inclinations also effects our experience of communion with God and can disrupt the peace of God in our souls. As he says, these thoughts are brought forth from the sinfulness in our own hearts, not to mention the thoughts that are thrust upon us from the outside world. As such, we need to be guarding our hearts and minds against these thoughts and, more than that, to be filling them with the things of God.
How are you seeking to fill your heart and mind with the promises of God in your daily life?
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