"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." —Isaiah 55:9
Oftentimes it is easy for a believer to take Scriptures for granted,
thinking we understanding them, when we really haven't grasped their true
meaning. One such Scripture, I think, is found in Isaiah 55:9... "For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." At a glance, one might
think about the clouds, i.e., the earth's atmosphere. However, Isaiah
55:9 doesn't say "heaven" (singular), it says "heavens" (plural). The
Bible is saying that God's ways are as different from man's as are
the distance of the stars from the earth.
Do you know how far the NEAREST star to the earth is, other than our own sun? The nearest star is Proxima Centauri, and it is 4.2 light-years in distance from the earth. One light-year is 5,874,589,152,000 miles!!! So that means that the nearest start to the earth is a shocking 24,673,274,438,400 miles from the earth!!! That's twenty-four TRILLION, six hundred and seventy-three BILLION, two hundred and seventy-four MILLION, four hundred and thirty-eight thousand and four hundred miles. If that's not amazing enough about God, then consider this... the FARTHEST known star from the earth is a staggering 13,230,000,000 light years away!!! That's 77,704,125,629,760,000,000,000 miles!!!
The Bible teaches that God's ways are incredibly different than man's ways, and God's thoughts different than man's thoughts. How is it then that so many people today place God on trial—questioning His divine sovereignty, accusing Him of not caring, and expecting Him to fit within their mold? Many people expect God to do things their way, and in their time. But God doesn't work where, when, and how we think He should. God has His own methods. Psalm 145:3 reads, "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." Someone wisely said: "God works in mysterious ways." He certainly does! Whereas we expect God to work within a timeframe of weeks and months; God often works in years and decades.
The sinful world places God on trial, condemning Him as a malign and cruel God, because of the suffering which exists in the world today. God is not to blame for man's sinful greed, lust, and desire for power. Mankind is the culprit; not God. Mankind is selfish and perverted; not God. Mankind is wicked and deceitful; not God. God's ways are higher than man's ways, as high as the sun, moon, and stars are above the earth. God created man with a free will to obey or rebel, to receive or reject Jesus Christ as the Savior, to do right or wrong. Yet, humanity blames God for their own faulty, sinful, and foolish decisions that bring sorrow, pain, and destruction upon themselves. We have no one to blame but ourselves!
The God of the Bible has manifest Himself to humanity in the flesh and person of Jesus Christ (1st Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-3,14), the Savior of mankind... "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). Salvation is found ONLY through the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10-12). This is God's way. So many people today are hellbound in rebellion and unbelief, because they are relying upon their own human understanding... "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD" (Jeremiah 17:5). Only a fool would refuse to obey the Bible.
In conclusion, Isaiah 55:9 should settle the matter... God doesn't do things the "way" we think He should, nor does He do them "when" we think He should. We need to continually keep this Scripture in mind, and trust upon the Lord, lest we get upset with God for not catering to our selfish demands. 1st Timothy 6:8 tells us to be "content" with food and raiment, and nothing more. That is a very simple life. Yet, how many of our prayers today seek much more. The average American today is spoiled-rotten and filled with sinful pride. Most people place their own opinions over God's Word. To do so is sin. We must learn to trust the heart of God, when we cannot see the hand of God.
You'll be hard-pressed to find a faithful church anymore where the pastor rips and scathes against the evils of abortion, immodest dress on women, feminism, homosexuality and all the wickedness in our nation! In my preaching, I mostly focus on the commonplace sins that people are attempting to justify, like homosexuality and divorce. There is a battle going on between truth and darkness. Beyonce says God gave her permission to wear sexy clothes and strip nude. She needs to be exposed in a different way, i.e., as a heathen whore who needs God. Here's a pastor who says gay is ok! No, homosexuality is a horrible sin (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:24-32).
Abortion is NOT a choice. The child has no choice. The father has no choice. Not one father has ever had an abortion. It's America's women who are plunging this nation into Hell. Women file for divorce at more than TWICE the rate of men. It's all the women stripping naked and whoring out society! If you don't believe me, then listen to the mighty Preacher R.G. Lee, from his timeless sermon, PAYDAY SOMEDAY...
“What is that truth? The truth that the spiritual life of a nation, city, town, school, church, or home never rises any higher than the spiritual life of women. When women sag morally and spiritually, men sag morally and spiritually. When women slump morally and spiritually, men slip morally and spiritually. When women take the downward road men travel with them. When women are lame morally and spiritually, men limp morally and spiritually. The degeneracy of womanhood helps the decay of manhood.”
SOURCE: Dr. R.G. Lee, from the sermon, Payday Someday
