God Doesn't Make Sense

Isaiah 55:8-11 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

God called Joshua to MARCH around Jericho instead of just attacking the city. How did that make sense? Abraham was told that he and Sarah would have a child in their old age. Make sense? Moses received a message from God via a burning bush. Imagine trying to make sense of that! Jesus walked on water, fed the 5,000 with a few loaves of bread and some fish, raised the dead, healed the sick, died and rose again...you get the picture. Of course none of this made sense. Human reasoning was defied by miracles and unparalleled love.

His ways are higher than ours, His thoughts are not our thoughts.

I'm a sci-fi junkie. I love Star Trek. In the original TV show, 79 episodes, Captain Kirk never once said "Beam me up Scotty." Despite that, people will insist he said it.

That got me to pondering this week about some of the things we THINK are in the Bible.

I have been told that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" is in the Bible. Another one is that "God helps those who help themselves!" Sounds great but it's not there. One that I have heard often is that "God will not give you more than you can bear!" I hate to say it but you won't find that in the Scriptures either. It's just not there. The closest you can find is in 1 Corinthians 10 where it says, "But God is faithful. He won't allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it."

That verse talks about temptation, not about overwhelming circumstances, family problems, sickness, etc.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carry heavy loads, and i will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I'm gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light."

God has promised us rest, he has promised to sustain us, but he never said we would not have hardship!

Look at what Paul says is 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, "Brothers and sisters, we don't want you to be ignorant about the suffering we experienced in the provinces of Asia. It was so extreme that it was beyond our ability to endure. We even wondered if we could go on living. In fact, we still feel as if we're under a death sentence. But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life."

The key to this is right there in verse 9: "so that we can stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God."

God may not make sense to us, but though we don't understand His ways, we can come to know and understand more of His heart. He wants us to surrender fully to Him!