“My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8
“When life takes a difficult turn, Christians often remind others with a shrug, ‘His ways are not our ways’—communicating the mysteries of divine providence by which He orchestrates events in ways that surprise us. The mysterious depth of divine providence is of course, a precious biblical truth. But the passage in which we find ‘His ways are not our ways’ comes from Isaiah 55. And in this context, it means something quite different. It is not a statement of the surprise of God’s mysterious providence but of the surprise of God’s compassionate heart.” (Dane Ortlund, Gentle & Lowly)
6 “Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call upon Him while He is near;
7 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.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 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
Praise God for the depth of His compassion, which exceeds our thoughts and our ways.
I wonder if any others find themselves wandering away from the Father repeatedly. I wonder if anyone seeks refuge and peace in other sources, outside the embrace of God. I wonder if anyone else knows the feeling of shame or even disgust that comes from falling into a struggle with sin time and time again.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God speaks. God abundantly pardons. His heart is filled with tender mercies. The Lord is lifting the contrite into His embrace, close to His heart. His grace far exceeds the “tit for tat” nature of our thoughts and our ways. His measure of kindness has sent His beloved Son to accomplish our redemption, paying the penalty of sin, washing away all of our stains. He has power to forgive, to transform, and to alleviate our troubled minds, replacing the stress with fresh joy in Jesus.
He is at work to draw you close to Himself. May the Spirit breathe love and truth into your heart, providing ongoing renewal as only He can.
Salt Is Good 