My thoughts are not your thoughts
Isaiah 55:8 - Even when we’re in challenging or confusing situations, we can trust that God’s plans are perfect, for our benefit, and for His glory
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““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8 NIV
The Old Testament prophets heard from God frequently, and they dutifully attempted to persuade Israel to repent or face ruin. The Book of Isaiah, which contains 66 separate chapters, isn’t even the longest prophetic book of the Bible. That honor goes to Jeremiah, who wrote more words (33,002 by one count, or roughly 4 percent of the entire book) and crammed them into just 52 chapters.
Isaiah’s writings are significant for many reasons. To begin with, he made very accurate prophecies about the coming of the Messiah hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. He is quoted in the Gospels more than any other prophet, starting with Matthew when the apostle wrote about John the Baptist’s ministry. Another of his prophecies was fulfilled when Jesus moved to Galilee to begin His ministry (Isaiah 9:1-2), and Jesus quoted Isaiah’s prophecies when He spoke in parables (for example, see Isaiah 6:9 and Matthew 13:13-14).
But probably one of the biggest reasons Isaiah made an impact is that his writings are beautiful! GotQuestions.org had this to say about Isaiah:
It is in examining a man’s heart that we can learn what kind of a man he is, and Jesus said it is from the overflow of a man’s heart that he speaks (Matthew 12:34). It is from Isaiah’s writings that we learn of his unswerving faithfulness and his complete humility before God. He also had great respect from King Hezekiah’s court and his peers, which was evident in times of crisis. Some of the world’s greatest art works, music and poetry have come from men who walked closely with God, and we can count Isaiah among them. His grasp of the Hebrew language has been likened to that of Shakespeare’s English, as we read in Isaiah some of the most beautiful writings in the Bible. Though the book of Isaiah was written over 2,500 years ago, it is well worth reading through the entire book, because in it we see much wisdom that still applies to our Christian lives today.
Some of that wisdom is encapsulated in today’s verse, which are the Words of God transcribed by Isaiah. What does God mean by “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways“?
In one respect, the answer to that question is rather obvious: there is a gigantic difference between the divine wisdom of God and what we humans can understand. His Words are a reminder that God knows everything, while even the most intelligent human has a limit to what his or her reasoning.
Let’s do a little word study here. The Hebrew word for “thoughts” (מַחֲשָׁבָה or maḥăšāḇâ) includes the meaning of “plans” or “intentions”. That implies that God’s purposes for mankind transcend how his creation can comprehend those purposes. In a theological sense, that points out the need for faith and reliance on His Word rather than relying on our human logic.
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God states that “neither are your ways my ways”. Going back to the ancient Hebrew once more, the word for “ways” is דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) and is defined in this context as “manner, habit, way, course of life”. God is pointing out the obvious to His people: there’s a huge gap between His perfect holiness and our fallen sinfulness. דֶּרֶךְ also means “road or path”, showing that humans tend to follow their own paths instead of following God’s commandments. God is saying through Isaiah that we must align our lives with His will, as stated in scripture and in the life of Jesus as chronicled in the Gospels.
This short verse has some important lessons to teach us. First, we should always be aware of the limits of our understanding of what goes on in our world, leading us to more humility and reliance on God’s wisdom. Next, our prayers should ask God for our thoughts and ways to align more closely with His wisdom and guidance. And finally, even when we’re in challenging or confusing situations, we can trust that God’s plans are perfect, for our benefit, and for His glory.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer is from Knowing Jesus:
Loving Heavenly Father, forgive my pride in trying to second-guess what You are doing, and even trying to tell You at times what is best for my life. Help me to remember that You have a perfect plan and purpose for all Your children. Keep me broken at the Cross, and may Your will be done in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.