Orange Moon Friday, June 12, 2026 "Stay Or Stray"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

“Stay Or Stray”

   “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusted in Thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

    A “stayed” (leaned; rested) mind on God does not suggest a mind that will not be tempted otherwise.

    “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” (II Corinthians 10:5).

   Regardless of how faithfully we walk with our Lord, temptation to think and believe in terms contrary to His truth will happen.  Wayward thoughts will have to be brought “into captivity.”  In fact, many challenges may confront us because we walk faithfully with Him.  Worldly, devilish, and fleshly temptations abound for believers no less than they assailed the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  “We have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).  

    What we do with these challenges in our thinking determines the quality and consistency of our response to God.  How do we respond when we become aware of thoughts contrary to our Lord and His Word?  Do we bring them captive?  Or do we become captive by failing to see erroneous thinking as opportunity to remember, believe, and affirm the truth?   Choices ever lie before us, choices we must see as opportunities to “think on these things,” that is, “whatsoever things are true… honest… just… pure… lovely… of good report… virtue…  praise” (Philippians 4:8).

   Regardless of how devotedly we pray, ponder the Scriptures, and seek to walk faithfully with God, wayward thoughts will confront our minds.  What will we do with them?  We cannot allow them to linger unchallenged.  Nor do we simply attempt to not think them.  No, we rather replace them.  We take them captive and execute sentence upon their darkness by joining the Psalmist, “O Lord, I will walk in Thy truth” (Psalm 86:11).   We remember and affirm whatever Scriptural truth counters the error. Thereby, we “stay” our minds amid great challenge to allow them to stray.

    For example, consider temptations to fear.  “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3).  The Psalmist determines to proactively respond to thoughts and emotions of fear by the chosen determination to think and believe in accordance with God and His Word.  The temptation may and often does involve a walk in faith, that is, more than one step may be required as many challenges to our peace involve ongoing affirmations and determinations of “I will trust.”  “The good fight of faith” is not easy, requiring believers to serve as “a good soldier of Jesus Christ” in conflicts that grant us much opportunity to wield "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (I Timothy 6:12; II Timothy 2:3; Ephesians 6:17).  We greatly glorify God thereby as we walk in the triumph of the Lord Jesus, ever seeking to live from His victory by faith amid all confrontations of “What time I am afraid."

    Believers in the Lord Jesus do not have to possess brilliance of mind in order to walk with God.  We do require active minds, however, minds ever on guard against the falsehoods inevitably to be encountered in a fallen world.  We respond by seeking to “walk in truth” (III John 1:4).  When challenged by wayward thoughts, we stay our minds rather than allowing them to stray as we remember, replace, and fill our minds with the Scripture's  thoughts of assurance, strength, and the peace of the Prince of peace.  Stay or stray?  Challenges to our thinking provide the opportunity to actively and assertively do what believers do by definition, namely, to believe in accordance with the light of God’s Word and leading of the Holy Spirit as we “think on these things."

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.”

(Psalm 94:19)

Weekly Memory Verse

      Great is our Lord, and of great power.  His understanding is infinite.

(Psalm 147:5)

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Orange Moon Thursday, June 11, 2026 "Just Long Enough"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

“Just Long Enough”

   “As for God, His way is perfect” (II Samuel 22:31).

   “My times are in Thy hands” (Psalm 31:15).

     Of all God’s perfect ways, His timing can be among the most challenging to comprehend and process.  The eternal perspective that guides His working often conflicts with our limited understanding.  “How long?” asked the Psalmist on numerous occasions regarding God’s working in ways far beyond our understanding and “past finding out” (Psalm 6:3; Romans 11:33).  

    Our Heavenly Father can, of course, be trusted completely regarding our times.  No one who waits on Him will ever be confounded (I Peter 2:6).  We will all be tempted at times to our own wondering of “How long?” as the perfection of God’s working greatly challenges our perceptions.  Ultimately, we will see that what seemed to be His delays were never that at all.  He rather works in all things according to “the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11).  Guided by infinite understanding, and even more, by “the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, God’s ways will one day be seen far more clearly by His people as perfectly performed, and yes, as perfectly scheduled.  “Trust in Him at all times” (Psalm 147:5; Ephesians 3:19; Psalm 62:8).

    This assurance does not preclude the challenge we all face regarding our Lord’s present working in our lives.  Even as we plant the truth of “My times are in Thy hands” deeply within our hearts, we will be tempted to wonder and even to chafe as our Father works according to His eternal perspective.  “Lord, how long?”  Just long enough will be the answer regarding all of God’s ways in the world and in our lives.  This we can believe because it is true, and because every moment in this life and forevermore flows with the current of “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

“Our Lord Jesus Christ, which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”

(I Timothy 6:14-16)

Weekly Memory Verse

      Great is our Lord, and of great power.  His understanding is infinite.

(Psalm 147:5)

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Orange Moon Wednesday, June 10, 2026 "Not Unto Us"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

(Thanks to Fred C. for inspiration on this one)

   

“Not Unto Us”   

                                  

      “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).

     We live in a generation wherein one can become known to millions of people in mere seconds.  “People know my name!” said one famous entertainer regarding her successful quest to garner attention, affirmation, and accolade.  

     The Psalmist affirmed a different emphasis and quest:

    “Not unto us, o Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115:1).

   The Holy Spirit works in believers to make precious the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts, and then through us to elicit the same devotion in others.  For well over 99% of Christians in the history of the church, this has involved anonymity rather than notoriety.  Even in our current day of instant dissemination of information and image, this remains true.  Relatively few believers are known outside their limited sphere of influence.  In nearly all, God answers the Psalmist’s “Not unto us” plea for a life that quietly and for the most part secretly directs attention to the “Name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).  This does not necessarily suggest criticism toward the few whose names become known to many, so long as they do not intentionally seek the glory that belongs to one Name only.

   His name alone is excellent” (Psalm 148:13).

    Another whose name found its way into the world’s lights once said that he wanted to become famous - until 5 seconds after it happened.  While enjoying the trappings of fame and its fleeting moments of happiness and benefit, he realized that no joy can be found in notoriety.  How could it?  Human beings exist not to garner attention to ourselves, for which none of us are worthy, but rather to exalt the completely deserved fame of Another.  This is joy.  “Let them that love Thy Name be joyful in Thee” (Psalm 5:11).  This day offers the opportunity for such a full heart, based on devotion to such a glorious Name.  “Not unto us” indeed.  But rather…

“I will glorify Thy Name forevermore.”

(Psalm 86:12)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Great is our Lord, and of great power.  His understanding is infinite.

(Psalm 147:5)

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