Have you heard about ‘thought sharks?’ They swim just below the surface – ready to take a big bite out of your beliefs.
Thoughts shape ideas and beliefs, which then lead to behavior and actions. Look at someone’s behavior and actions and you can usually follow them back to specific ‘thoughts’ that led them there. Some of the ‘bad actions’ within the Christian church are driven by these ‘thought sharks.’
Thought Sharks
You may think you’re a strong Christian and that nothing can impact the way you think about Jesus Christ, but I suggest you consider a few things before being too sure of that.
A thought shark wants to control the way you think, believe, and behave. They may do it by taking little ‘bites’ out of your thoughts over a period of time – or shocking your thought process through a much larger ‘bite.’ The goal of a thought shark is to ‘destroy’ the way you think. That’s what Satan did to Eve in the Garden of Eden – and we’re all dealing with the fallout from that BIG BITE to this day.
To understand how a ‘thought shark’ can interfere with or even destroy the life of a Christian we need to understand how thoughts work. The Bible often refers to the ‘thoughts of the heart.’ So, what does that mean? Here are a few examples we can consider –
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5
“O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You.” 1 Chronicles 29:18
“They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.” Psalm 64:6
It’s interesting to note that God also has ‘thoughts’ from His heart –
“The anger of the Lord will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.” Jeremiah 23:20
Notice in the first example that God saw that ‘every intent’ of the thoughts of people’s hearts was ‘only evil continually.’ That led God to send a great Flood that destroyed most living things – except for Noah, his family, and many land animals, birds, and insects. God started the second ‘biosphere’ (earth) with them.
The Hebrew words for people’s ‘thoughts of the heart’ are – machashabah leb. They mean the ‘intent, plans, purposes’ of the ‘inner man, the will, the mind.’ The Hebrew word for God’s ‘thoughts’ in Jeremiah 23:20 is a little different – mezimmah – meaning ‘purpose, discretion, device.’
It’s probably good to mention at this point that God’s ‘thoughts’ are different than people’s ‘thoughts’ –
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
God’s ‘thoughts and ways’ and human ‘thoughts and ways’ are really in two different categories. That’s because God and humans are different ‘beings.’ God is the ‘Supreme Being, the Necessary Being.’ Human beings are not supreme and not ‘necessary.’ They are ‘contingent’ on God’s existence and His will. Look at the context of Isaiah 55 and you’ll understand why God said what He did to the prophet. ‘Life,’ God told Isaiah, is dependent upon Him – as are His mercy and forgiveness.
The ‘thought sharks’ swimming around you at this moment cannot affect God’s thoughts. God is far above all other beings – natural and supernatural. So, the sharks attack those beings ‘made in God’s image.’ That’s us. They can’t reach God, but they can reach us. And reach they do through a multitude of devices. The Book of Job gives us some insight into how the ‘senior shark’ approached God concerning Job. It’s a lesson for all of us. James, the half brother of Jesus, summed up Job in this brief statement –
“You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” James 5:11
People may question why God allowed Job to be treated harshly by the ‘senior shark,’ but we see that God’s intention had a purpose. It demonstrated God’s compassion and mercy and Job’s perseverance. If you read the context of James 5, you’ll see it’s about God’s people ‘enduring’ tough times.
Jesus Christ addressed the issue of ‘thoughts of the heart’ when He walked the earth almost two-thousand years ago. What He said then is insightful now –
“But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19
Recognizing ‘Thought Sharks’
We know that ‘thought sharks’ are swimming below us and around us all the time, but is there anything a concerned Christian can do about it? Yes, there is –
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
We need to depend on God’s Word because that’s what ‘discerns’ the thoughts and intents of our heart. It’s not unlike what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus about putting on the ‘whole armor’ of God and being ready to do battle with the ‘thought sharks’ every day –
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
We must depend on God’s Thoughts as the Holy Spirit expressed in His Word ‘rather than’ our own thoughts. As a martial arts instructor I’ve practiced and taught the use of physical swords for decades. They are excellent for both defense and offense ‘if’ you know how to use them. That’s why I highly recommend that every Christian learn how to wield God’s Word by ‘rightly dividing’ it. That means ‘handle it correctly.’ Unfortunately, the majority of Christian leaders (e.g. pastors, denominational leaders, seminary professors, etc) have either lost the ability to wield the Sword of the Spirit or they are purposely not teaching Christians how to use it. [I deal with that in more depth in a series titled A Layman’s Guide to False Preachers and Teachers.]
One way to recognize a ‘thought shark’ is to listen carefully to how they speak. Remember the first thing Satan said to Eve in the Garden?
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said … ” Genesis 3:1
When a Christian leader begins or inserts into a conversation or sermon a question about whether God said something that any Christian should know He said – think ‘thought shark.’ Thought sharks question God’s Word. That’s often where the deception begins.
The deception continues when the ‘thought shark’ says God did not say what He said, and then questions God’s motive for saying what He said. Case in point –
“Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5
‘Thought sharks’ are cunning – very cunning. They will bite down hard, but often begin with a few nibbles. You’re swimming along and you feel a couple of nibbles on your legs or arms. What is that? Didn’t hurt, so no big deal. Right? Wrong. As soon as you put up with some nibbles the ‘thought shark’ begins to bite and take huge chunks out of your spiritual life. What does that leave you with? Disaster!
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Genesis 3:6-7
Everything changed in that moment. Their unique and special relationship with God was torn apart. What followed was God’s anger and curses on humanity. The ‘thought shark’ won – at least for the time being.
Next Time
Thought sharks have been with us for thousands of years. There’s nothing we can do about the damage they caused in the past, but we can learn from them. We’ll look into that in the next part of our series, Swimming With Sharks.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Faith & Self Defense © 2025
Faith & Self Defense 
OK, let’s step back a bit a ponder whether it is really such a simple matter to know “whether God said something that any Christian should know He said.” It is no doubt that what you call “thought sharks,,,question God’s Word.” But even you assert that “the majority of Christian leaders (e.g. pastors, denominational leaders, seminary professors, etc) have either lost the ability to wield the Sword of the Spirit or they are purposely not teaching Christians how to use it.” This definitely makes it a challenge to know what God has said, right? To put a pin in that thought, I’d like to point out your misuse of a text that is often misunderstood by most of our revered teachers: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 You use it to asset a virtual theological truism: God’s thoughts are not our kind of thoughts. True, right? However, that particular text is pointing out how God is more willing to forgive than humans are; read it again in context and I’ll think you might agree. There are other texts that might more appropriately be used to affirm that God is smarter than us. Being a couple thousand years away from the authorial context suggests it is not a simple matter to say just what Christians should know if “a majority” of Christian teachers don’t know what it is either. There is perhaps no more attribute required of Jesus’ teachers than absolute humility in declaring just exactly what the Word of God has said through scripture.
Hi, Richard. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. My full quote that you used at the beginning of your response is: “When a Christian leader begins or inserts into a conversation or sermon a question about whether God said something that any Christian should know He said – think ‘thought shark.’ Thought sharks question God’s Word. That’s often where the deception begins.”
Do you disagree with that statement? If so, please elaborate and I’ll respond.
I agree that ‘humility’ is an important attribute in declaring ‘just exactly what the Word of God has said through scripture.’ I also believe that ‘accuracy’ is vital to ensuring that Christians and non-Christians hear the truth of what God’s Word says. My concern is that many people who are in positions of leadership in churches, denominations, seminaries, etc., are not ‘accurate’ in their teaching. Even as Jesus and His apostles warned two-thousand years ago, people are following after false teachers. The Apostle Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian church – “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:29-31) Paul warned Timothy – “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth … But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7, 13). Paul warned Titus – “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” (Titus 1:10-16) Paul was a humble man, but he knew that ‘rebuking’ false teachers was an important part of teaching the truth. Notice that Paul told Titus to ‘rebuke them sharply.’ The reason for doing that? “… that they may be sound in the faith.” Soundness in doctrine (teaching) is necessary to soundness in faith (believing).
A teacher of God’s Word can ‘rebuke sharply’ and ‘be humble’ at the same time. As a former atheist I am constantly aware of how God demonstrated His great love and mercy toward me. I am humbled by that knowledge. At the same time I am directed by God’s Word to ‘rebuke’ those who are teaching His Word falsely. Galatians is a good example of how Paul ‘rebuked’ Christians for listening to and following false teaching in their churches – ‘I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9) and “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?” (Galatians 3:1-4) Paul ‘sharply rebuked’ the Galatians about wandering from the truth of the Gospel toward a false gospel, but he closed his letter to them with an important reminder about being ‘humble’ as they addressed the failings of their brothers and sisters in Christ – “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:1-5). Rebuking God’s people for following false teaching while doing that humbly seems to be a primary theme in Paul’s letters.
You wrote about my ‘misuse of a text that is often misunderstood by most of our revered teachers.” You asked me to read Isaiah 55:8-9 ‘in context.’ Where is the beginning of the ‘context’ for this portion of Isaiah? Knowing what you think about that will help me respond better to your accusation that I ‘misused’ a text of Scripture and do not ‘understand’ it. Also, what texts do you believe would ‘more appropriately be used to affirm that God is smarter than us”? Do you not believe that the other texts I included in Part 5 of this series and the previous parts of the series would be part of affirming that truth? I certainly welcome knowing what other Scriptures you believe would add to our understanding of how Superior our God is to His people.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and I look forward to hearing from you again. In Christ’s Love and Grace, Mark McGee
I don’t disagree with your statement so much as think it is just very hard to determine which challenges to what someone says is what “God has said” deserve the reaction. It is a lot easier to identify things one disagrees with than to verify that it is actually in error; tradition(s) of all sorts seem to me to add to scriptural revelation instead of just read it as the original authors would have understood it to mean. Again, 2000 years is a long cultural distance from the New Testament. Claims regarding new revelation deserve special scrutiny. I’m not inclined to think that you are closely scrutinizing the “New Apostolic Reformation.” I do appreciate all the many scriptural references you remind us of about how malignant teachers and “prophets” will mislead the flock. The context of Isaiah 55 is the whole of the Isa. 55 text, but centered perhaps in vv 6-9 especially. The purpose of the chapter is seen there, rather than in a verse pulled out of context, which is what tradition has done to that text. Even Google takes the generalized meaning taken out of context as having the meaning you use, so no biggie; just sayin’. I think the best of the many Bible texts that speak to the distinctions between our human thought and God’s might be 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, with v 12 being perhaps the most significant in regard to the issue at hand, but the whole of that context suggests a lot more that might be applied to the new knowledge and prophesies of your movement: 8 “Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Thanks for prompting me to do a little more devotional study and reflect on what’s happening the Church today. All blessings to all in Christ, Richard W Wilson
Hi, Richard. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. My process of studying the Bible is fairly simple: text within context from the original language to the original reader. I think you are saying the same thing. The text of Isaiah 55:6-9 is certainly impacted by what came before and what followed. The question for interpretive context is how far back do we read. As with any other OT or NT writing, we need to begin at the beginning. We know that Isaiah was the son of Amoz. Isaiah saw a vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. That time period connects us to the writings found in 2 Chronicles 26 – 27 and 2 Kings 15 – 20. It’s helpful to study that historical information along with the Book of Isaiah to get a full context.
Isaiah 55:1 is an okay place to begin with a partial contextual understanding, but I would prefer to begin with chapter 40 where God tells Isaiah to say, ‘comfort my people.’ God’s ‘comfort’ included His ‘help,’ which would come through a variety of means, especially His ‘Servant,’ His ‘Elect One in whom My soul delights.’ (Chapter 42). Studying from chapter 40 through chapter 55 (or 56) gives a better understanding of the verses you mentioned in chapter 55. Reading how Jesus and His apostles handled the Book of Isaiah is also helpful in understanding the context and proper understanding of several passages they referred to from the OT Book.
I’m not sure what you meant by these words in your response: “Claims regarding new revelation deserve special scrutiny. I’m not inclined to think that you are closely scrutinizing the “New Apostolic Reformation.” Do you mean that you believe in ‘new revelation’ since the Apostolic days of the 1st century AD or that you don’t believe in ‘new revelation?’ Concerning my ‘closely scrutinizing the ‘New Apostolic Reformation,’ I have written extensively about the NAR during the last few decades. I studied in the late 1970s with the man who many consider the ‘father’ of the NAR. Because I knew him personally and had studied his views about Church Growth, I continued to follow his teachings and writings into the 80s and 90s. I began to see some things that concerned me during that time and eventually wrote several articles and eBooks about what would become known as the New Apostolic Reformation. I’ve also taught about the NAR in various church settings, so I’d be glad to have a further discussion concerning that if you are interested.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts! In Christ’s Love and Grace, Mark McGee