When the Two Clash

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says 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. Isaiah 55:8-9 (Amplified Bible)

Often I am challenged to ask myself if I really believe what I am reading from God’s Word or if they are just lofty thoughts that have yet to be fully embraced by me. The moment of truth comes when I face difficulties, disappointments, and the hardships of life. Not when the sun is shining and everything is going my way, but when the storms of life descend upon my peaceful world. Those are the times when what I really believe comes to the surface. Those are the times I must acknowledge the truth of my own heart.

Not only are God’s ways and thoughts higher than my own but often they are quite different from my own. I would like to say that when there is conflict between the two, I very easily lay down my will for His. I gladly release my grip to take His hand. I venture forth with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. I would like to say that is the norm for me, but the truth of the matter is that I more often find myself resisting the changes He brings about.

I can so easily resist the change of relationships when His plans and purposes for those relationships have been fully accomplished. How easy it is to wrap myself in a mantle of grief over loss and resist the invitation to move forward into new relationships. I can look back over my life as if it were a canyon scene with many mountain ranges. At various places I see the past “nests” of relationships that God allowed me to remain in for a while. What I failed to see was that it was always His hand that rustled the nests in order to move me on to higher places with Himself. Instead, I could only see my hurt and ask myself a host of unanswerable questions. Far too many times I would have chosen to stay indefinitely and resist the call to His ways and thoughts. What I have learned is God will remove me whether I go willingly or not. It simply means with unwillingness I will experience more pain than is necessary.

It is that way no matter what area of life is out of my control. Be it health, finances, relationships, employment, dreams, expectations, or daily happenings, it always comes down to His ways and thoughts being higher than my own. I once again acknowledge that as truth and embrace it afresh.

Father, resistance to Your ways and thoughts carries a price tag I no longer want to pay. I surrender. Amen.

Knees to the Earth - Watermark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01eAZ85kXSA

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.