I recently read a devotion that quoted the scripture from Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: but the word “mind “ was replaced by the word “imagination” "Thou wilt keep him peace whose imagination is stayed on Thee."
It took me aback at first because I immediately noticed that the verse was not "translated" quite right. Then I looked into a couple other translations, (KJV and the amplified) and began to understand what the writer was getting at. So many times we view the imagination as a negative activity, one to be avoided in our Christian walk. But we can put it to work in our life for God. A person devoid of the capability of 'imagining" things that are not seen ( even Paul knew about this! ) has no basis for comprehending all the glories that God has for him. Imagining can provide greater heights and ambitions in our Christian walk if used properly. For instance, what can we imagine God can ever do for us?
We must, within the envisioning power of our "imagination," comprehend what He has for us. The worker for God who has no imagination will easily become bogged down in the day to day grind and the trials of his work. He cannot see how God will bring him through the hard places. When the time of trial comes, our faith and the Spirit of God and our ability to "imagine" better and more glorious times will make us able to comprehend the great possibilities of what God will do for us to bring us through the trial!
As we stretch the limits of our imagining power to comprehend all the mighty works God has done, we can envision all He has promised. Our imagination reaches out to create a marvelous image it all! And that image strengthens us and encourages us. I've lived my entire Christian life this way and NEVER realized it!
One of the greatest images of my experience has been from the old testament when repeatedly the Mighty Hand and Outstretched Arm of God is portrayed. (And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders Deut. 26:8 for one example) In so many trials and hard places when my faith was at low ebb, I had an enduring vision of that Hand and Arm of God doing the same thing for me that He had done for Israel. Read that verse. Can't you just SEE it before you! And you know what? That arm has done exactly the same thing moving on MY behalf--so real I could almost see it with my physical eyes. Praise the Lord!
Oh my goodness. I'm blessed!
It took me aback at first because I immediately noticed that the verse was not "translated" quite right. Then I looked into a couple other translations, (KJV and the amplified) and began to understand what the writer was getting at. So many times we view the imagination as a negative activity, one to be avoided in our Christian walk. But we can put it to work in our life for God. A person devoid of the capability of 'imagining" things that are not seen ( even Paul knew about this! ) has no basis for comprehending all the glories that God has for him. Imagining can provide greater heights and ambitions in our Christian walk if used properly. For instance, what can we imagine God can ever do for us?
We must, within the envisioning power of our "imagination," comprehend what He has for us. The worker for God who has no imagination will easily become bogged down in the day to day grind and the trials of his work. He cannot see how God will bring him through the hard places. When the time of trial comes, our faith and the Spirit of God and our ability to "imagine" better and more glorious times will make us able to comprehend the great possibilities of what God will do for us to bring us through the trial!
As we stretch the limits of our imagining power to comprehend all the mighty works God has done, we can envision all He has promised. Our imagination reaches out to create a marvelous image it all! And that image strengthens us and encourages us. I've lived my entire Christian life this way and NEVER realized it!
One of the greatest images of my experience has been from the old testament when repeatedly the Mighty Hand and Outstretched Arm of God is portrayed. (And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders Deut. 26:8 for one example) In so many trials and hard places when my faith was at low ebb, I had an enduring vision of that Hand and Arm of God doing the same thing for me that He had done for Israel. Read that verse. Can't you just SEE it before you! And you know what? That arm has done exactly the same thing moving on MY behalf--so real I could almost see it with my physical eyes. Praise the Lord!
Oh my goodness. I'm blessed!
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