Devotion for September 10, 2008

My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts

“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, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, Nor [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. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper [in the thing] for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:6-13 NKJV)

How beautiful are the words recorded in Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts.” These are precious words for they declare what all hope for—God’s immutable favor for His children. His thoughts, His love for His children never has and never will change. If He set His love on you from eternity past, He will continue to love you eternally.

God is not like a man who changes his mind from day to day. God is not mutable. Perhaps you have experienced a time or two where sin has left you in great fear as to God’s disposition towards you. Know this He will always love you if He has loved you at all.

This is the thread to which you must cling in your hour of need for it is the goodness of God that leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4). If you think God has cast you aside because of your weakness, then what hope is there for you? Will you win back His favor with deeds of righteousness? This trap is designed by the devil and leads to eventual apostasy. Note the words of Paul in his letter to the Galatians “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3 NKJV)

This is not license to sin. Just the opposite, this is motivation to repent. The Lord Christ laid down His life that you might live, and now you engage in those things that bring about death. Oh you should not repent because you fear His condemnation, but because you have laid another stripe on His back. Cling to the promises of God knowing that His thoughts are not your thoughts nor His ways your ways.

If you find yourself constantly seeking God’s approval, it could be that you have never really trusted in Christ. If this is the case, “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, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

Remember, “. . . as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper [in the thing] for which I sent it.