His Ways are Not Our Ways

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake His way, and the unrighteous man His thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
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." --Isaiah 55:6-9

I love these verses for a multitude of reasons.

• They bring attention to the compassionate and loving nature of the Lord toward His people.
• They highlight the opportunity we have right now to return to the Lord, and His willingness to not just forgive, but abundantly forgive.
• My favorite: He reminds us that His ways and thoughts are not the same as ours. 

I think that is the most interesting part. He says this directly after He calls those who have fallen away to return to Him and be forgiven. I think the Lord is highlighting the fact that for our sinful hearts it is hard for us to comprehend why He would forgive us--sinners, blasphemers, opponents to the Gospel (1 Timothy 1:13). I know this is something I have struggled with a multitude of times, and satan has used it as a tool of manipulation to convince me to doubt the Lord's abundant and complete forgiveness. But the Lord graciously reminds us here that His thoughts are not the same as ours--it is in His nature to forgive those who scorn Him.....just look at the cross.

It is also difficult for our default toward others to be compassionate and forgiving--yet, again, His ways and thoughts are not the same as ours. On our own we are selfish, prideful and self-centered, but the Lord graciously enables us to have qualities that go against our basic human nature. As we become more and more like Him, and less and less like ourselves, we experience the gracious gift of compassion, love, and forgiveness toward our brothers and sisters. 

What a wonderful truth to praise Him for today: His thoughts and ways are higher than our own, just as the heavens are higher than the earth! Praise Jesus.