When Thoughts Really Do Count

Scripture Passage that Caught my attention today: 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 For a multitude of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the passover otherwise than as prescribed. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “The good LORD pardon all 19 who set their hearts to seek God, the LORD the God of their ancestors, even though not in accordance with the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” 20 The LORD heard Hezekiah, and healed the people.

Observation: Hezekiah (and God) determined that the spirit in which the people participated in the Passover triumphed over the law in terms of what was normally required.

Application: It’s been said, “it’s the thought that counts.” True enough. Our actions (or lack thereof), however, often reveal our thoughts and the extent of our care.

We can say, for example, that we care about world hunger. Okay. Does that mean that we have developed and initiated a personal plan of action to help end this crisis? If our answer is, “Ugh…well…not yet,” we have a bit of a problem…we’ve essentially been caught in our own lie.

On the other hand, there’s only so much we can do. Regardless of our feelings it’s impossible for any of us to actually develop and initiate plans to help alleviate every unfortunate issue under the sun. The world’s problems are simply too great and too vast and, in many cases, even unknown to us.

What shall we do?

We might start by giving thanks for the people who see our predicament and pray for us. We also might want to again thank God for being, as the Scriptures reveal more than once, “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

And, if something inspires us to demonstrate our care for one issue or another or one person or another, well, we might want to give thanks for that opportunity as well. Our thoughts do count, for they often lead to loving actions that might otherwise never have seen the light of day.

Prayer: Lord, Hezekiah prayed for people who were doing some things right but other things in ways that were not prescribed. Nevertheless, they were trying to demonstrate their devotion to you and you were gracious enough to accept what they offered. May the same be true of us. And may you also inspire us to demonstrate our care in ways that, as of yet, may have escaped us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: 2 Chronicles 29-31 and James 4)