Just my Imagination - Daily Inspiration P. 361 - Supernatural Truth in Christ

Proverbs 24: King James Bible

Just my Imagination – Daily Devotion of Proverbs chapter twenty four, Verses 7-9

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. 8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. 9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

Daily Inspiration from These Verses – Just my Imagination

If we take a gander at a devotional that was done early on in chapter 23 calle “An Evil Eye,” we find the Father giving us warning, about the wicked purposes that reside in the heart of someone looking to take advantage of us somehow, or harboring evil intent. The link above will take you there to check it out if you’ve missed it.

The scriptures above are approaching us differently. These are not necessarily giving us warning of others, but are informing us about things that we need to keep in check ourselves. Particularly verses 8 & 9.

As we’ve noticed in other verses gone by, there is no outward act of sin or wickedness being performed, but just the thoughts bouncing around the heart. As always, it’s the heart that the Lord wants to take care of. In so doing iniquity is removed, chopping sin off at the root.

But it’s just my imagination, right? If I’m not following through with the things that go on in my heart, there’s nothing sinful going on. Yeah, I’d like to tell this to myself in an attempt to feel better about being sinful too.

But wrongo. There’s no such thing as something being “just my imagination.” Just because the public at large doesn’t have to suffer from our wicked desires, intentions, and thoughts, the Lord still does.

Isn’t it ironic how we can marginalize our walk with the Lord, by thinking that internalized sin isn’t going to be recognized as sin? And if there were ever any question about what the Lord thinks of sinful thoughts or intentions, the verses above should provide a clear answer.

I mean, one of the factors for the great flood, was that men’s hearts and imaginations were bent on evil continually. The Lord didn’t throw the word imaginations in there by mistake. He takes this very seriously, far more so that we do I believe.

In full disclosure, I have had problems with this my whole life. The Lord has uprooted all kinds of garbage from my heart over the years, but that wasn’t always the case. There were times that I could get so worked up with just my imagination at work, nothing external, my adrenaline would start pumping. At times, I’d even work myself up to getting the shakes.

These would typically be violent or confrontational thoughts, thoughts of fighting or hashing out some sort of conflict. Or, I had the capacity to sit around and devise all kinds of mischief toward anyone I happened to be mad at for whatever reason.

Only by way of the Lord, and by the washing away these ill intentions and imaginations of the heart by the Word of God, did I begin to realize how deep of an impact this was having on me, and my relationship with the Father. How can we fulfill anything that the Lord has planned for us, if our heart is blackened by devising to do evil?

There’s no faking out the Lord. We may be able to put our best foot forward, and give all of the Christian appearances that people may expect to see. But there is no hiding anything from the Lord, and he is constantly searching us out to see how we’re doing, and what’s going on inside.

If you have the same types of things going on inside of you, I would advise that you take it to the Lord, and ask him to break you from this type of pattern. At first, he may snap you out of your imagination to show you what you’re doing.

That’s the time to repent, and eventually, with a healthy diet of prayerfully diving into the Word of God, you’ll catch yourself then repent, sooner and sooner. Eventually you’ll be able to nip your imagination in the bud before it begins to take a turn for the worse.

Imagination is a great and wonderful thing, given to us by the Father himself. The problem comes when our sin nature is driving our imaginations. Left unchecked, will lead to a world of iniquity, and sin can only stay internalized for so long, till it starts to leak out into fruition.

Related New Testament Scripture

Romans 1: King James Bible

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

2 Corinthians 10: King James Bible

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Hebrews 4: King James Bible

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Prayer

Father,

Thank you for the clarity that you provide concerning your Word, your will, and your ways. Thank you for keeping thoughtful of us, your children. Please forgive us for taking advantage of any good thing that you’ve equipped us with, using it for wickedness and mischief, rather than for good and for your original purposes. Help us to cast down all imaginations that hold themselves against you and your Word, and lead us to use the imagination you’ve given us as intended. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen

Question

Have you ever used the ol “It’s just my imagination” excuse to keep your heart in a sinful place?

Daily Inspiration from Proverbs 24 P. 361 – Just my Imagination