This post was last updated on July 2, 2026

Day 82 (Year 2)

Nurturing the Habit of Thinking and Deep Reflection 

… “They may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God.” (Acts 26:18b NASB)

Believers usually first need to externalize the darkness and step by step break free from external control to turn from darkness to light. We instead need to choose God’s governance from within before we can firmly turn to Him. In this process, we need to recognize how the darkness constrains us, but win the mind battle. Genetically, the ability to think and reflect varies among people. But with Jesus’ help and through properly and earnestly meditating on Scripture, examining ourselves, and moving toward repentance, our capacity for reflection can be greatly enhanced. When we encounter difficulties, we must seek God’s help for resolving various problems and turn deeply toward Him.

A greater capacity for thinking and reflection can facilitate inner transformation and is necessary for us truly to turn to God. Some are aware of the darkness but are unwilling to leave, because the inner darkness has not been cleared away. Behind this may lie mistaken or distorted beliefs and values, i.e., errors in how certain things, people, and relationships are evaluated, understood, or positioned. We must reflect deeply and thoroughly correct these errors and misplacements to completely expel the inner darkness and free us from its bondage in God.

Resolving problems in understanding and obeying God’s words strengthens our capacity for thinking and reflection. Many need to invest significant time and effort to fully understand the scriptures. We should avoid fixating on only a small portion of truth or taking passages out of context. Sometimes, in the process of putting God’s words into practice, we then discover passages we do not really know or have misunderstood. Besides, only after failing to put some truth into practice do we discover that we have erroneous values and habits within, which distort or nullify God’s words. Our inner problems are often related to formative experiences, interactions with family and friends, societal values, genetic influences, and even the work of Satan. We must properly address the impact of past experiences, sever all ties with unbelieving people, situations, and things, and even rely on God to transform mistaken memories, so as to deeply and fully submit to the truth of God’s light and truly turn to Him.

Reflection questions:

1) Over the past several weeks of reading these devotionals, has your capacity for thinking and reflection grown? If not, what are the reasons, and how will you rely on the Lord to address this?

2) Are you determined to put God’s words into practice? If you have already been doing so for some time, what changes have you experienced?