“’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.’” Isaiah 55:8, 9
Have you ever been confused by God’s actions? Or what we perceive as non-action? Have you ever wondered why one person is miraculously healed while another is not? Or why one person seems to sail through life almost problem free while another goes from one difficulty to another? If you understand all of that, please explain it to me because I don’t get it! It just doesn’t seem fair, does it? I’m speaking as one who’s life has been relatively problem free compared to so many others. Sure, there have been some tough times. But compared to the extreme difficulties and tragedies that others have faced, I’ve had a pretty idyllic life. And I don’t think that’s fair! That’s when I think of this verse. God is not some capricious god who randomly throws out, or allows, hardships on a whim.
It often helps me to realize God is the loving Father and we are His children, dependent on Him for every need and every lesson to be learned. I think of a parent giving pieces of cake to his two children. One gets a bigger piece than another. That’s not fair, right? Well, maybe one is older and has a bigger appetite, or didn’t have any dessert after the last meal. Or maybe the one with the smaller piece is struggling with obesity or is even pre-diabetic. What seems unfair on the surface may be the loving parent trying to shield the one who was shorted from something worse. Maybe that example doesn’t make sense to anyone else, but I think of how a child would not be able to understand the situation and would think it’s unfair. In the same way, we aren’t able to understand why God does or allows things that seem unfair. But we are able to have confidence that whatever is happening, God is loving us with a perfect love. And He is always there with us through whatever trial we’re facing.
I love that this verse begins with talking about God’s thoughts. It’s not just His actions that are difficult for us to comprehend, but His very thoughts. I’ve heard it said (and I believe) that thoughts precede emotions, which precede actions. Emotions aren’t something that just happen to us. They result from our thoughts. As we think, so we feel. As we feel, so we act. As an example, let’s say I think that a certain person doesn’t like me. Then that person neglects to say good morning so I’m hurt. Why? Because of my belief about the person’s feelings towards me. So I respond with a sharp retort, or tears, or some other completely uncalled for reaction when the reality of the situation is that the person had a bad night and is preoccupied with things that have nothing to do with me. And it all started with my thoughts. It’s the same in our relationship with God. If His thoughts are so incomprehensible to us, how can we begin to understand His actions? And this takes us back to what I said before. We may not be able to understand God’s actions, much less His thoughts, but we can be assured that He is our loving Father. Every thought He has toward us is a thought of total and complete love and care. Everything He does is for our good.