How many times have you heard someone use Isaiah
55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts ", in the context of God not giving them something they desired
because He doesn't think like us or vice versa?
The Bible tells us in Psalms 37:4, that if we delight
ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart, and in Psalms
138:8, that He is concerned with the things that concern us. Just knowing these
scriptures alone, even though there are plenty more where these come from,
should teach us to stay focused on the positive side of every scripture,
including this one.
For some strange reason, it seems the majority
of the time people use this scripture they are using it in a negative context! They
venture off into areas of, what God won’t do for them because He doesn't think
like them; which leads them to a state of begging and pleading God to answer a pray, or asking for God to create a clean heart in them so they can think and be like Him. Please
don’t misunderstand me, there's nothing wrong with praying for a clean heart,
but the Bible tells that when we were
saved, we were made right in the eyes of God, thus telling me, that to Him, my heart is now clean! Believing
that my heart is clean does not mean I don't or can't sin, (the verb), but it does
mean I am not in a state or place of sin (the noun) in the eyes of God any
longer, thus telling me, as long as I keep believing in Him, I already have a
clean heart in His eyes!
The true meaning of Isaiah 55:8-9 is a picture of GRACE! It is a scripture of God’s forgiveness! The scripture indirectly
references how people may not want to forgive or give others grace, but God doesn’t withhold grace or love the way
people do. The scripture itself is about how God’s gracious thoughts exceed all human imagination, it was not meant
to be used in a negative way, but should be viewed and used in a positive light.
The scripture is an invitation to the thirsty,
to the wicked, to the unsaved, that God will provide grace, love & mercy,
even to them. It speaks about how His love and grace is mightier than any love or
grace we could ever think of or act out! It is not about a shot in the dark “guess
work” of, “Lord please let me pray for myself what you desire for me to pray,
because I know my ways are not your ways and my thought your thoughts.” This is
not to say God doesn’t desire more for us than we sometimes desire for
ourselves, and His ways are not higher than ours, but this is not the context
in which this scripture was meant to be understood. It’s was meant to be a scripture of GRACE and not a scripture of doubt!
As you continue to take this JOURNEY TO 365 DAYS OF FAVOR, begin to
restructure the way you think about and use this scripture and every scripture.
The next time you hear someone say, something in the context of, “well I don't
want to pray for a car or pray for healing, because it may not be God’s desires
or thoughts for me, because God’s ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are
not our thoughts”; stop them immediately and tell them that if this matter concerns
them, it’s concerns God, regardless of how trivial or even materialist it may
seem. God desires nothing but the best for you; and if our prayers and desires
are only “shots in the dark” of what He may or may not be thinking for us, then
why pray in the first place? Why not just wait for life to happen and see what
it will bring our way? As Christians we need to get rid of that “hell, fire and
brimstone” way of thinking about God and start believing that God is concerned
with our thoughts and desires, and that He is not the author of confusion,
especially in our thoughts and prayers. Remember to stay on the positive side
of scripture as you read and meditate upon it, and always remember to stay
focused on The Love and Grace of God!
Forever
In His Grace!
Toinette
Neube
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