”“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8New International Version (NIV)
Isaiah 55:8 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways
In Isaiah 55:8, Prophet Isaiah quoted God’s declaration to His people in the following words: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways“. And in Isaiah 55:9, he added God’s continued declaration to His people with the words: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah, therefore, relayed to the Israelites that God has an infinite mental ability, in comparison to men, whose mental ability is finite. After all, God is all-knowing!
He also relayed that their ways were not like the ways of God. Because God’s ways are far superior to the ways of men. After all, He is perfect in everything He does.
Appeal to Israel to return to God
Interestingly, Isaiah conveyed God’s declaration in a chapter where he focused on appealing to Israel to return to God. Because the main point of chapter 55 is repentance based on his use of such terms as “come” (Isaiah 55:1, 3, 5), “listen” (Isaiah 55:2, 3), and “give ear” (Isaiah 55:3), and also the words “seek” and “call” (Isaiah 55:6), and “forsake” and “turn” (Isaiah 55:7).
You can also sense the urgency of God’s appeal in Isaiah’s use of the phrases “while he may be found” and “while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
All in all, Isaiah 55 was, therefore, a serious appeal and one that needed to be heeded. And only then did God differentiate the nature of his thoughts and ways from theirs. No wonder Isaiah, in Isaiah 55:9, revealed that God’s thoughts and ways were as high as the heavens from the earth from their thoughts and ways.
The repentance that God desired/desires
Notice that the repentance that God desired of His people was one that was in alignment with His thoughts and ways. No wonder Isaiah 55:3 highlighted the everlasting covenant and the sure mercies of David, which were examples of how God accomplishes repentance in our hearts.
Therefore, you need to reorient your thoughts and ways to conform to God’s will for you. Because rebellion makes your thoughts and ways to be way out of line with God’s will for you and your life.
But when you repent, you will discover that God’s thoughts for you are eternal. And His ways concerning you are filled with His faithfulness.
You will know God as much as He reveals Himself to you
Furthermore, you will get to appreciate that you will know God as much as He reveals Himself to you. That is, unless God discloses Himself to you, you will not know Him and His will for you.
So, repent and submit yourself to God, and He will disclose Himself to you. He will also reveal His will to you (Romans 12:2).
Prayer/Blessing
Lord God, help me reorient my thoughts and my ways to align with Your will. This is my prayer of faith in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
2 Chronicles 14-17 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
