Have you ever had a red light come on your car dash? What did you do? In my case, decades ago, I kept going and burned up my motor. I was on a causeway that said, ‘Do Not Stop At Any Time.’ I obeyed.

Consider negative thoughts as the red light on your dash. Let them be a warning to stop the thought right there. It is when we dialogue with it, that it brings inner damage.

When I repurpose something, I find another use for it. We repurpose negative thoughts in this way. They are a signal, a warning, and a spoiler alert that we need to instantly heed.

Isaiah 54:16 says, “…I have created the spoiler to destroy.” Hmm. Let’s consider truth as the spoiler in our case. The second we have a negative thought, we use the truth of God’s word to destroy it.

God’s word is sharper than a two-edged sword. William Brewster was the instigator of the Mayflower expedition. He was hated. One day Brewster was walking into his cottage. An excellent swordsman was hiding inside. As Brewster came in the door, this man jumped out with his sword to kill Brewster.

Brewster whipped out his sword and the battle began. Brewster eventually knocked the other’s sword out of his hand and stabbed him in the stomach and slid the sword up. The man only had time for a surprised look on his face and then he died and fell over.

That is the power of God’s word hidden in our heart. The second a negative thought arises, we wield our mighty weapon. We use a truth from His word to slit the life right out of it. It is a militant maneuver that destroys the spoiler-thought.

Nahum 2:1 says, “He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.” This verse is our strategic wisdom for hiding God’s word in our heart. Let us be diligent warriors!

The first step in obedience is to listen attentively. We need to incline our ear, which means to listen favorably. Isaiah 55:3 says, “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live…”

Numerous times the Lord gave Jeremiah a word for the children of Israel. They would not listen. King Zedekiah was warned by God. If he would submit to the king of Babylon he would live. He would not listen. His disobedience cost many lives. All of his sons were killed before his eyes, and then they put out his eyes. Then he was bound with bronze fetters and carried off to Babylon.

In 1975 the Lord gave me specific instructions of what not to do. However, a seemingly great opportunity just fell into my lap and I disobeyed. I reaped that disobedience TEN years.

Why don’t we obey? There are hidden pockets of rebellion in our hearts. They come from unresolved issues. We failed to guard our heart and they took up residence.

Listening attentively is the first step. Then we need to engage our heart. Our heart is our belief center. Doubt, fear, or unbelief can reside in our heart. Romans 10:10 says that it is with our heart that we believe.

Our heart is designed to be a reservoir of God’s word. The enemy of our soul does everything he can to fill it with empty things that do not profit. He desires to thwart God’s purpose in our lives.

A heart that obeys, is lined with a foundation of truth. When the lie comes through a fiery dart, the truth within rises as a sentinel to block it from penetrating. Truth within causes the dart to veer off course.

In 1975 I had verses memorized, but they were not actively applied. At that time I did not understand how a hidden desire could align with the enticement of a temptation (James 1:14-15).

Obeying from our heart is a decision to please the Lord above all else. When His truth lines our heart, our thoughts will come from that hidden truth. They will rise to give honor and glory to the Lord first and foremost in every circumstance of our lives.

Decades ago I taught my Sunday School class about Jeremiah in the dungeon. I made him out of purple pipe stem cleaners. I used strips of cloth for the rags. I still remember it whether any of them do or not. Jeremiah’s helplessness was very real.

Jeremiah was let down into a dungeon with ropes. He sank into the mire. One of the king’s eunuchs heard about it, and he went to the king. Here are the king’s words. Jeremiah 38:10 says, “Take thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.”

Here is how they did it. Verse 11 says that they took old clothes and old rags and made ropes. Verse 12 they instructed Jeremiah to, “…Please put these old clothes and rags under your armpits, under the ropes…” They lifted him out of the mire.

Think back when we were in the dungeon-mire of impossibility. We were alienated from God, our hearts were dark, and our thoughts were futile. No hope. Remember the song: Love Lifted Me? It starts out, “I was sinking deep in sin…” Oh glorious day when He lifted us from our sin’s miry pit!

Our thoughts can be like ropes that lower us down into the mire of despair when we face an impossibility. Yet, like Jeremiah, we must recognize that we are absolutely dependent on God. Our impossibility helps us recognize a truth that is often forgotten: we are unequivocally, in every aspect of our lives, dependent on the Lord. This is where absolute trust operates the fullest that will bring Him glory.

(I lost it. I went to copy what I had just typed and it disappeared! This must be important for someone)

Salvation begins with trust. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

Trust is a heart decision to obey no matter what the Lord has asked. It is an attitude of trust that does not waver. It is steadfast faith in God’s faithfulness. Mark 11:22 says, “…Have faith in God.”

Let’s look at the example of Abram. Genesis 12:1 says, “Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.”

Verse 4 says, “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him…And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

I was 57 years old when the Lord told me to resign my job. I had no clue why at that moment. That night my dad asked me to move in with them to care for them 24/7. Like Abram, I began an incredible journey into uncharted territory. I left my city, job, friends, and my church of 21 years. I sold my 1400 square foot mobile, and moved into one bedroom.

Let’s look at the children of Israel for another example. Moses had died and their new leader was Joshua. They were facing the Jordan River that was overflowing its banks. The promised land was on the other side.

Joshua had just instructed them to follow the ark. Joshua 3:4 says, “…Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

That is the power of trust. The Lord has gone before us to prepare the way. He removes anything that would cause us to derail or our faith to fail. All we have to do is follow Him.

Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” Psalm 23:3 says, “…He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

When we follow God’s pre-charted course, we are in the center of His will. Trust will allow Him to intentionally place our feet every step of the way. Trust is an attitude that bears abundant fruit which glorifies Him.

There was a very interesting situation in Jeremiah’s life. Jerusalem was under siege. The Lord had told them that they would be carried away to Babylon. Then the Lord told Jeremiah to buy a field. Jeremiah did as the Lord instructed, though he did not understand.

He obeyed because he trusted the Lord. Yet he was perplexed so he prayed. Great example for us. He began his prayer by acknowledging God’s power. Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” At the end of his prayer he asked his question.

Verse 25 says, “And You have said to me, O Lord God, Buy the field for money, and take witnesses!–yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” The Lord then explained exactly what He was going to do.

1 Samuel 15:22 says, “…Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” An obedient heart is His delight.

Obedience is a heart response of absolute trust. The path of obedience is strewn with grace. When we have no clue of the ‘why’ God has told us to do something, our instant thought reveals our heart. Do we humble our heart by acknowledging He is God, or do we question why?

James 1:8 says that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Obedience is a singular mindset. It is a heart set on God first. Like Daniel, we purpose ahead of time to obey. David wrote Psalm 85. I love verse 11 and use it as a prayer. It says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”

Let us echo David’s words for an undivided heart. The Lord is our Master and Divine Orchestrator. We can explicitly trust Him. He will never instruct us to do something without having prepared it in advance.

Multiple times in Jeremiah the Lord’s indictment against Israel was that they followed the dictates of their heart. He entreated them through His prophets to follow Him, but they refused.

Remember the ruined sash? Jeremiah 13:10 says, “This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.”

Let John 6:63 remind us again that our flesh profits nothing.

Jeremiah 15:19 says, “…If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; IF you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth…”

Jeremiah 16:19 called lies worthless and unprofitable things. That is exactly what the devil wants to do. He shoots his fiery dart-lies in a way they will penetrate. His design is to get them inside our heart so that he can set up inner strongholds of evil thoughts. You think a believer doesn’t have evil thoughts? Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”

2 Corinthians 10:4 says that it is God’s word in our heart that will pull down those stronghold-lies. Satan is a dictator. The Lord never dictates. He invites!

To follow the dictates of our heart means that we unequivocally and absolutely act independent of God. He is not in that equation. It is all flesh which profits nothing.

How do we take out the precious from the vile? First we acknowledge that we have sinned against God alone. The dictates of our heart are pride! Like 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “…will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then…”

We cannot turn with a proud heart. God resists the proud. Verse 14 goes on to say, “…I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” We humble ourselves through confession of our sin. If we don’t, the Lord will bring His ways to humble us.

The Lord is clothed in light. We are called to let our light shine before all men. Romans 13:12 says, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

1 John 1:6 says that if we ‘say’ that we have fellowship with the One who dwells in light, but walk in darkness, we are lying. Hmm. What does it mean to walk in darkness?

Hiding anything in our hearts except God’s word is walking in darkness. Here is an illustration. Jeremiah 13:1-11 was a prophetic act. God told Jeremiah to take a brand new sash, and put it around his waist. Then to hide it in a hole in the rock. After many days the Lord told him to take it out. It was ruined. Verse 7 says, “…It was profitable for nothing.”

In verse 9 God explained the prophetic act. He said that in the same manner He would ruin the great pride of Jerusalem. Verse 10 says that they refused to hear His words, they followed the dictates of their own hearts, and they walked after other gods and worshiped and served them.

Hidden unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, or keeping a record of wrongs is disobedience. We have ignored God’s word, and followed the dictates of our own heart. We were wise in our own eyes, and did not fear Him. What we hide becomes an idol of our heart that dictates what we think and do. It enslaves us.

He knows what is in our heart. He wants us to acknowledge it as sin against Him. He alone is God, and He alone deserves all praise. He saved us and redeemed us that He might be our focus of worship so that He is glorified. Let us confess any hidden sin. As we enthrone Him in our heart, our testimony of light will shine.

This morning when I woke up I was drawn to verse two in Psalm 104. Verses 1-2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, who cover Yourself with light as with a garment…”

Here is another that goes with them. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

In the midst of our chaos, let us keep our focus on the Lord’s greatness. Jeremiah questioned the Lord as to why the wicked prospered. God’s answer is relevant to us today.

Jeremiah 12:5 says, “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?”

Verse 6 says, “For even your brothers…have dealt treacherously with you; yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, even though they speak smooth words to you.”

Jeremiah was rebuked for his impatience. Patience is a character quality that is developed through our trials. Impatience is a fleshly reaction when something doesn’t go as we planned it.

Psalm 61 was written by David. He cried out to the Lord. He was overwhelmed, and asked the Lord to lead him to higher ground. The way we raise our thoughts from our overwhelming, patience trying circumstances is through worship.

Worship is a lifestyle. It is a high watermark of a true follower of Jesus. There will never be a circumstance that would keep us from worshiping in our heart. Worship is a heart response when we think back to the cross.

Worship is drinking at the well of our salvation. Isaiah 12:2-3 says, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust in Him and not be afraid; for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Let our lives reflect a heart of worship because He is worthy.

Does the Lord hear faith in your heart as you pray? Galatians 3:2 says, “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Verse 5 says, “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

What does faith sound like to the Lord? He knows our hearts, and every thought before we think it. He knows when our heart is engaged as we pray.What does your faith sound like as you wait? Waiting is a trial that refines our faith.

I love this scene in 2 Samuel 5:24. David was told to wait until he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees. He was listening with faith. The Lord told him that as soon as he heard the sound he was to advance. That means that he was waiting with an engaged heart.

Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Let’s take another scene. Hear Elijah’s faith? There was a drought. In verse 41 he said this to Ahab, “…Go up…for there is the sound of the abundance of rain.”

Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. He prayed. Then he told his servant to go up and look toward the sea. SEVEN times he told him to go. Verse 44 says, “…There is a cloud…rising out of the sea! So he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.”

The sound of faith in our prayers is agreement with what God has said. It is preserving to wait until He acts. Our mind is still, bringing every doubt captive through persevering truth.

Galatians 3:5 Amplified says, “…adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard.” What does God say in His word regarding your situation? Agree with His promise and stand. When you have done all to stand, keep on standing until He gives clear direction. He delights to hear our faith!

Hebrews 4:2 says, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”

Everyone heard the same message. Some believed and some did not. The difference? It takes heart engagement through faith to profit in our walk with the Lord. I often ask the Lord to help me see beyond the print. He is so desirous to reveal Himself through His word.

I want to embrace how He wants to reveal Himself in my daily reading. I just love how He speaks through His word to my present circumstances. His word is timeless. Last year I read the book of Jeremiah. As I am reading it now, my life is in a totally different season. Jeremiah 2:11 gave me new insight that challenged my heart.

John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Our faith has to be in God’s ability to do what He has purposed. It cannot be in what we want Him to do, because that ‘want’ is flesh driven.

Jeremiah 9:24 says, “But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.”

Think of the parable of the sower. When we turn aside, our heart will not embrace the word. Stony ground hearts hear the word, but they don’t mix it with faith. When they fall into trials, they wither. Thorny ground chokes out the word so that it is not profitable.

2 Kings 19:30 was talking about the remnant of Israel. We can apply these words to our lives. It says, “…shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” Colossians 2:7 says, “Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Hmm. No one wants to bite into a bitter juiceless fruit that is borne from our flesh. The deeper we are rooted in faith, the more our walk will be profitable. We embrace His word, mix it with faith, and apply it to our lives. The result will be inner transformation that exemplifies the character of Jesus. Our fruit will be sweet and succulent which others will desire to eat.