Jump Start # 210

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My way,’ 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.”

  Through the prophet Isaiah God makes a loud declaration to Israel and more so, to all life. God is not like us. His thoughts are much higher than ours. What we think is fair, just and right, God comes in much higher and nobler. God defines holiness and grace.

  This passage tells us much. It shows, other than what God has revealed through His holy word, we can’t pigeon hole God and figure Him out. We do that with one another, especially in marriage. After you have been married for a while, you can anticipate and pretty much know how your mate is going to respond. You can plan something, knowing that your spouse will like that. How do you know? You’ve come to understand and know them.

  That doesn’t work with God. God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We try guessing God and we’re going to be wrong. This is where many miss it with God. I have heard folks trying to justify practices in church that are not found in the Bible and one of the first things they say is, “I just know God likes this.” How do you know? His thoughts are not your thoughts! We might like church services to be like a comedy show. Does God? We might like church to be like a rock concert. Does God? Beyond that, in our everyday walk, we might say, “I don’t see anything wrong with…” Yet God might. His thoughts are not our thoughts. When we start using our feelings and what we like for the reason to do things, we are going to get things all messed up. God is not like us. What we laugh at, God may not. What we declare as innocent, God may not. What we think is a good work, God may not. We must stop using our self as the standard for what pleases God. God is not like us.

  That leaves us with only one other option. If we don’t use what we like as a standard for what God likes, then we must use what God has declared—the Bible. The Bible is the heart of God revealed. The message throughout the Bible is to do things the way God declared. This is the right way. This is the sure way. This is the way that pleases God.

  The Old Testament declares, “there is a way that seemeth right, but the end is destruction.” How fitting that thought is for what we are talking about today. Things seem right. They seem right to us. But they have not been declared right by God. We do them, assuming they are right, assuming that God thinks they are right, but the end is destruction. Have you ever driven somewhere thinking you knew where you were going, only to discover that you were lost. You thought you knew—it seemed right to you, but it wasn’t. This tells us that we cannot be the standard for what is right and wrong with God. He is. This tells us that rules and by-laws established by in religion fail. They change with the times, God’s word doesn’t. Look at church history, things that were considered wrong years ago, are not considered acceptable today. How does that work? What is the basis of that? God’s word is the same for the early disciples as it is for us. I’m thankful for that. We don’t worry about having an outdated law from God or missing the latest changes. It remains the same through all ages, all cultures and all times.

  Can I know God’s ways? Certainly. Can I know God’s thoughts? Yes. Not by using how I feel as the way God feels, but by studying and following His word. That’s what the Bible is. It is the will of God. Paul said, “do not be ignorant, but understand the will of God.” You can know how God feels about things as you see it declared in the Bible. This is a sure and certain way.

  I’m glad God doesn’t think the way I think. We’d be in trouble if He did. Some days, I don’t think too hot. Some days I change my mind about things. Some days I’m not sure. Not God. He’s always at the helm. He’s constant and consistent. He knows. He’s absolute. He is sure. Instead of asking others for advice all the time, I ought to search the pages of the Bible. That’s the answer I really need.

Roger