Genesis 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

1 Chronicles 29:18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

Psalm 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Psalm 92:5 O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Psalm 139:3 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Daniel 4:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

Luke 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

I’m thinking I’ve said enough about thoughts. What do you think?

1 Corinthians 12:31 Be sincere in seeking God’s gifts for there is always a better way. (My Paraphrase)

This is not so much a quote of that verse as it is an understanding of any present condition for any Christian no matter how far you have come on your walk.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

The moment we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we have peace with God. The moment we step out into the world in faith, we are hounded by the world.

Psalm 123:3-4 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

We only deceive ourselves if we think that the peace of God protects our souls in this evil and corrupt world. It does not. The world is at war with our souls and the peace of God is useful only as a guide to keep us on the path of His will for us. Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions which are flesh and therefor subject to wounding.

The Lord made provisions for healing and rest. Restoration comes from the Lord and is found in His presence. But then we are sent right back out into the world with a new set of orders. Having had those wounds healed, do you not also have a better understand about how you received them? Will you take that into battle and avoid being wounded again?

Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

I strive for a better way, were flesh and blood have no part in this conversation.