God’s ways are not our ways. In fact, very often God’s ways are the complete and total opposite of ours.
Americans teach their children the importance of self esteem, but God says in Galatians 6:3, “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” So when we pump our children full of self esteem, we are training them to think highly of themselves. On the surface that sounds like a good thing, but too much self esteem leads to pride, the sin that God hates above all others. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” In this matter, God’s ways are very different from ours. While we elevate the importance of self esteem and pride, God recognizes the humble.
I Corinthians 1:25 says, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Yet most people refuse to trust God simply because they don’t want to relinquish control of their lives. God might ask them to do something that they don’t want to do, like quit smoking, forgive someone, or go to Africa as a missionary. But God will never require us to do something that He will not enable us to do, and because He knows all things, He will always do what is best – without exception.
Romans 11:33-34 says, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?”
- Will God send us anyplace that He will not go with us? No.
- Will God ask us to do anything that he won’t help us to accomplish? No.
- Will God put us into harms way needlessly? No.
- Will God lead us astray? No.
- Will God steer us wrong? No.
He has a perfect track record. He’s never let us down. So why don’t we trust Him? Because His ways are not our ways, and we don’t understand God’s ways. When we buried our three month old granddaughter, our daughter felt like God had let her down. And whenever anyone feels that way, it is an indication that they don’t understand God’s ways. Does anyone really understand God’s ways? Probably not. That’s why God wants us to walk by faith. When we walk by faith, we accept that God’s ways are better than ours, and we choose to trust Him, even though we may not understand what He’s doing in our lives.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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.”
We may never understand the ways of God, but as we draw close to Him in prayer, studying and memorizing His word, we learn to trust Him in all areas of life.