How many of you have heard of the saying, "The Lord works in mysterious ways". Well, you will not be able to find it in the Bible; it is from a hymn by William Cowper entitled, "God Moves in Mysterious Ways".
What's wrong with this quotation, you may ask? Well, if we believe in a God that works in mysterious ways, then we tend to think that He has "something bad up his sleeve" and have to be constantly on our guard at all times, never knowing what God will do next. It is like we are living in a novel by John Grisham, with many twists and turns.
Is it any wonder then that some people have the notion of a god that sets traps for humans, and when they fall into it, claps his hands and laughs with delight.
Consider the following words of a song made popular in 1980 by Swedish group ABBA called "The Winner Takes It All"
The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear
But doesn't the Bible says that "God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours?" Doesn't this imply that God is "mysterious"?
Let us look at the context of these verses in Isaiah 55:8-12
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
When you read the entire passage, does it encourage you or discourage you?
The thoughts and ways of natural men are evil. But God's thoughts and ways are above that.
What are some of the thoughts and ways of men? When someone harms us, we think of a way of getting even.
Some of us may even have "lower" thoughts and ways, like scheming on how to destroy that person completely.
What are higher thoughts and ways then? To forgive and think of practical ways of showing love.
And that is exactly what is meant by the thoughts and ways of our Lord God being higher than ours. Already back then in the Garden of Eden, He already had a plan to redeem mankind.
I would like to share the another excerpt of a DVD compilation called Humorous Bible Illustrations. This one is entitled "God's Mysterious Ways?"
The Lord's ways are definitely 'higher' than ours, but they are certainly not 'mysterious'. Amen?
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