Are our thoughts actually our thoughts ...or to what degree of influence from others are our thoughts.

We have the ability to reason ...but, that is without question to variable degrees.

From birth to the end of our lives we experience, are taught, and are influenced.  We are always formulating thoughts, or allowing others to help mold our thinking.

I  believe in God ...and I am thankful for the truths that are presented to me for me to believe.

I believe the Holy Spirit leads us to understanding the Word that has been passed down to us, and the availability of being able to read the Bible.

I also believe that there is a spirit that opposes God ...and sometimes we confuse the two.  This is called deception, and let us not be so haughty to think that just because we feel one thing does not deceive us, that we are above it all.  And let us not arrogantly think that Eve was merely way too naive ...and we wouldn't have fallen for that deception in the Garden of Eden.

Whatever I am thinking now ...will perhaps be a process where I am open to God's leading, and that I will be given discernment to understand the force of wishful thinking, discovery, preconceived ideas. What I'm saying, is I hope I don't get in the way ...so my own ambitions of knowledge don't also get in the way (as was seemingly the case with Eve).

On the other hand, perhaps Eve just thought of trying to please Adam ...and then Adam joining, as not to displease Eve.  Like I said, I don't really know ...but, I know there was a measure of disobedience toward God involved, and that was not pleasing to Him.

Though, like everything else ...God had that already covered.  It may not have been immediately known to anyone else, but God knew.  It is our understanding of it which is dearly lacking.

And it involves much to the understanding of questions like: "Why does bad things happen to good people?"

Or we could also ask: "Why does good things happen to not so good people?"

And we'd have to define many things ...including good and bad.

Well, I can't possibly write about all of where my mind was traveling, nor would you likely want to read it. But, let me say that at one point my mind began to think in at least a chronological fashion.  Besides thinking of the Creation ...and the Fall, with Adam & Eve ...quickly came to mind the Flood, Sodom & Gomorrah, Uzzah, and Nathan's message to King David.

I was reading the First & Second Epistle of Peter ...which aided in many thoughts coming to mind.  So much was the flood of thoughts that I decided to write some of them down.  I could later reread them and formulate more thoughts about them ...which I thought was much more likely than if I didn't take notes, and forgot about it entirely. 

Noah was referred to as a preacher of righteousness ...and it didn't seem like there was much of that in those days.

Eight human being were saved on the ark from the Flood.

Lot was also described as righteous ...and being over thirteen hundred years after the Flood, it was Lot's turn to be saved, from the destruction of the city he lived in.

Yet, Abraham didn't know that his nephew & family were going to be spared.  He asked God if He would also spare and not destroy the city if 50 righteous were found there? ...how about five less than 50, for 45? ...40? ...30? ...20? ...10???

I then thought of how Uzzah was helping to transport the Ark of the Covenant ...and when he saw that the oxen shook it, he seemingly impulsively reached out to help steady it.  Upon touches it, he died.  King David obviously didn't understand, as he likely thought Uzzah's intentions were good.  And honestly, I could see myself doing the same thing as Uzzah under those circumstances.

Then not that long afterwards, Bathsheba was to have her first child by King David ...and Nathan came to tell a story of a man, that likely reminded David of his youth with tending to the lambs.  Kind David said the man Nathan spoke of should surely die ...to which nathan told King David he was the man.

That first son born to David & Bathsheba ...died shortly after birth.

The reason given for the death of the baby was that the circumstances of the birth of the baby would bring occasion for the enemies of God to blaspheme ...even though David acknowledged the sin, confessed it, and repented.

It would seem that there would also be occasion for many people to want to touch the Ark of the Covenant if Uzzah had lived ...yet he died.  I personally think Uzzah could have been a good and righteous man ...and I'm also thinking that perhaps he will be in Heaven.

I'm also wondering if there are people who died in the Flood, who had found no occasion to boldly preach righteousness ...and had furthermore fallen too far into compromise and its resulting irreconcilable standards.  

Perhaps we spend too much time thinking about these things, instead of the present living that we should be focusing on.  And judgment is not at all our business in reference to others ...we are only to judge right behaviors for the purpose of deciding how we should act, or aspire to act.  We are only to rightly divide the Word of truth ...as we read it, in the Bible.

We best serve in pointing out the pathway ...the path which is provided by Jesus.  If we lose our focus, and begin wondering how many are going to take the path, or stay on the course of it ...we are not helping ourselves tell of it, if we try to also do the work of leading which the Holy Spirit it prepared to do.

But, as I do read ...yes, I began to wonder what it meant, that which I was reading, at this particular time in the Epistles of Peter.  And it seems that in both of the Books, that he was closely following a certain line of thought.  I have barely touched on it here ...but, I did get down some of my beginning thoughts as a sort of a reference to future thinking.

And maybe it will bring some thoughts to you also ...or compel you to read again those few short Chapters which hold such deep thoughts and insight.