By faith Abraham accepted that, even not understanding God’s thoughts and ways. It would have been nice, in my opinion, that is, if he had remembered God’s promises of earlier days when God had first called him. He would have not listened to his wife’s ideas of giving her a child through her maid. That was pure man’s ways, and man’s thoughts and not God’s. The results are the enemies of Israel!
After the death of his mother, Isaac was given a wife from his family line at the age of forty years old. Only twenty years later did his wife conceived and gave him two sons, after Isaac had prayed much to the Lord for his wife and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant (Gen. 25:20-21). Isaac was sixty years old when he became a father. Why Isaac had to pray to obtain that which had been promised? Had God forgotten His covenant with Abraham? Of course not; the truth remains that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and our ways are not God’s ways. In His time, God was going to accomplish that which He had promised Abraham and nations would come from him.
God’s way to show Pharaoh Who He was, was through the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. He turned Pharaoh’s gods into plagues to torment the Egyptian people and used them to destroy the substance of life- food. He delivered Israel out of slavery with signs and wonders and gave them a route to the Promised Land that took them forty years, and not days. Many died in the desert without reaching Canaan, including Moses their leader. He had lived in the palace forty years, in the desert forty more years, when God called him to free his people and lead them to the Promised Land he was eighty years old. The Lord gave him forty more years in the desert, but did not give him the Promised Land. “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; our ways are not His ways”.
David was anointed king of Israel several years before he was given the throne. In that interim, he became a fugitive, for King Saul sought to kill him out of jealousy. For several years his life was constantly on the line until the death of King Saul. In His sovereignty, God chose the lineage of David from whom He brought His Son YAHSHUA, although David’s great-grand-mother was a harlot from Jericho; while king he had one of his soldiers killed in battle to marry his wife Bathsheba to satisfy the extent of his adultery. His first son with her died, but the second lived to be the king of Israel, above all the other sons. God chose Solomon, who became one of the most spiritually and morally corrupted king of Israel. Nothing takes God by surprise; although that does not keep us from asking questions in our limited way of thinking. The best way is to recognize that we are all sinners; He is completely and awesomely holy. There is no size of sin with Him; sin is sin. “His thoughts are not our thoughts; our ways are not His ways”. God’s choice of bringing His Son from a variety of nations and sinful people shows that He was coming to bring salvation to the whole world.
When you find yourself in the deepest valley or in the driest desert of life, wondering why God has not answered your prayers, remember that there is no mistake with Him; “His thoughts are higher than your thoughts; your ways are not His ways”. He will provide a way out of your troubles, as He promised, but it will have to be in His time, and in His way. Think of Abraham, Isaac, David and the other heroes of the faith, who died without seeing what they were foretold. The wisdom and sovereignty of God are not to be measured by our limited understanding of Whom He is, neither by the reasoning of our feeble mind. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfathomable are His judgments! And how untraceable are His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord and who has understood His thoughts, or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given God anything that he might be paid back or that he could claim recompense? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen (Rom. 11:33-36).
THINK ABOUT IT!
Light from the Word 