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. Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
1 Chronicles 28:9-10
In 2017 researchers at Stanford University published the results of a cutting edge BCI—brain computer interface—project for people who had lost the ability to move their hands. Scientists implanted tiny electronic arrays into the motor control cortex of the brain. Once the patients had been trained, they were able to “type” words onto a computer simply by thinking about moving their hands as they would on a keyboard. The implants translated the thoughts they had not previously been able to express into words on a screen. This enabled the patients to communicate in a whole new way. The process did not create the thoughts, but instead made a way to allow them to be seen and known by others.
Every thought that we entertain in our minds is open before the eyes of God. Nothing is ever hidden from His sight. David wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). While our actions are certainly important, they are not the source. Instead, what we do and avoid doing is a direct result of what we allow to control our thinking. Bob Jones, Sr. said, “Behind every tragedy of human character lies a long process of wicked thinking.” The idea that because others cannot see our thoughts they don’t matter is a lie Satan has been using successfully for thousands of years. We must carefully guard our hearts and minds, because that determines how we will live.
