The God Who is Higher
In contrast to last weekend, we are enjoying more of a relaxed weekend. After some typical Saturday housekeeping and outside chores we are looking forward to our Saturday evening service at Timberline. After the service Charlie Simeno and our friend Rod Carlson will be joining us for dinner. Tomorrow we go with a group to a dinner playhouse in Johnstown. This venue is in an unlikely location, but we have heard good things about it and are looking forward to our first visit.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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
If we could totally comprehend and understand God…then we would be…God! Throughout time it seems that man has endeavored to bring God down to his level or to rise to that of God’s.
Perhaps there is no greater challenge in understanding the “ways” of God than answers to prayer. Pastor Mark Batterson observes, “God…has this habit of waiting until the very last moment to answer our prayer to see if we will “chicken out” or “pray through”…if we pray through God will come through.” (Batterson, M. 2011 The Circle Maker, pg. 109) At times God’s “ways” are His way to teach us and mature us and allow us to grow in faith and trust in Him.
What is of interest to me is that our verse above follows these familiar words, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6,7)
In the natural there is no reason why God would have compassion and be willing to forgive a people who have been as disobedient, rebellious, idolatrous and outright evil as the Children of Israel. But because His ways and thoughts are above ours, He is willing to do and will do what we can not comprehend or do in our own strength in our relationships.
All of this is related to the sovereignty of God. God creates the rules for us and for our world, not the other way around. Our response is to stand in awe, to worship, to submit to Him and to seek Him with all of our heart. We do this knowing that He is a God of compassion, everlasting love and He is one who is moved by the prayers of His people.