Faith in God’s Ways
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
Isaiah 55:8-13
How God does things is often not how we would do things. Isaiah reminds us that his ways are higher, his thoughts are utterly different than our own. In short, he is God, and we are not.
Isaiah ends this passage with joy. As we trust in God and his ways, joy returns. We don’t have to figure everything out. We don’t have to rely on our own frail understanding. Our sovereign, powerful God has a good plan, and that plan involves his presence going before us.
Sometimes we cannot see how a painful situation will ever work out. Where we see thorn bushes, God sees junipers. Where we see briers, God sees the myrtle. He makes beauty from ashes, life from death, hope from hopelessness. Because his ways are higher, and we can’t understand everything that is happening, we can trust that he will do good things in and through us.
It’s one thing to have faith in our own ways, but it is quite another to truly have faith in the ways of God. He is the master of miracles. May today be a day that you have complete faith in God’s ways.
Prayer
Lord, my ways are understandable and explainable, but your ways? They are higher than my highest thought. Help me to have faith in your ways, relying on you and what you can do. I choose to follow you, come what may. Amen.
Application
What struggle in your life right now would you like to see God turn around? Ask him to intervene.
Drawn from the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible.
NIV Radiant Virtues Bible
The NIV Radiant Virtues Bible invites you to discover how the themes of faith, hope and love are woven through both the stories of the Bible and your own life. Features Scripture verse art, journaling prompts and wide lined margins for your own reflections.
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I was so passionate about knowing and understanding the word of God and today this article helps me a lot. Thank you so much.
This is indeed a great message, I have been blessed. Thank you
This Scripture always encourages me to put trust and hope in him. Though we struggle, when we rely on God’s promise, we are likely to get out of the calamity we face.
I thank God for his wonderful wisdom and also his care for us and his Word to strengthen us so that we may always trust him as God.
This Scripture has elevated me. I was devastated and was almost ready to give up, but I will still trust in God. 🙏
Your articles are a breath of fresh air for me. I am an infant in faith still, but through reading the Bible and your devotionals I hope to strengthen my faith from infancy to sonship. Thank you for your inspiration and motivation. I believe we are living in the last days and it’s crucial now more than ever for the prodigals to return back to the Father by embracing the forgiveness so readily available when we genuinely repent and renounce our sinful ways. I look on forward to more of your articles. Stay blessed.
Indeed His thoughts shall never match our thoughts for He is the most High God. Thank you so much for such a strong devotion. It has helped me understand that sometimes we need to leave God do in accordance of His ways in our life no matter what comes our way… Always trust in God.
I still believe that God is truly the answer to all that I need to survive.
This is really beautiful as it sets a tone as you may be aware that the Christian life is all about believing in God. Great sermons such as this, enable us believers to understand the value of what God is expecting us to do.
This is so inspiring. God’s ways and thoughts are far higher than ours, nobody can fathom it. We can only believe and have faith in Him. Thank you Father for this assurance.
Yes, His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are too. I read this passage to emphasize the decision I have taken not to worry anymore about anything, I give it all to Him. He knows the way, He knows the plan going forward better than I do. When I reach the Red Sea, I wait for His guidance in peace.
Thank you so much for these kind of devotionals. They’re so informative, enriching and empowering. The Word of God is alive and active 💯
As a widow, I am so grateful that Father GOD cares for me as a husband, and that I can trust and relax in HIS good and perfect will for me.
Stay blessed and continue trusting in the lord. He is the father to the fatherless and husband to the widow. Pray for increased faith by hearing the word of God, believing it, keeping it in your heart and obeying it and your faith will be increased.
God always cares as long as we are relying on his words and promises.
God’s ways are so interesting that I cannot imagine myself today after years of desiring to work in Australia which I was denied but 10 years after I lost that interest it is coming back to me as a gift. Lean not on your on your understanding but by the plan of God. How great is our Almighty God🙏
Really, OUR GOD IS SO WONDERFUL.. HE always leaves for us a reminder so that through HIS WORD we can have guidance in this wicked and sorrowful world.. Thank YOU ABBA FATHER,, In JESUS NAME I pray,, AMEN🙏🙏🙏
So blessed
That’s faith in God.
Thank you for putting the words of the LORD (Isaiah 55) in practice. It’s a blessing exploration of His words. God bless you.
It’s very important that we need to always be reminded that God is God!!. He does things His own ways and we only need to TRUST in him. Then it always be well with us.
Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful article and reminding me of God’s unfailing love. For sure, He has great and good plans for us. Be blessed abundantly.
Trusting God for His ways and choices for the United States of America, built on “One Nation Under God.” Thank you for His words as our faithful reminder.
நான் இந்த பகுதிக்கு புதியவன்.ஆனாலும் இயேசுவின் மீது மிகுந்த நம்பிக்கை உள்ளவன்.அப்படியே வளர்க்கப் பட்டேன்.அவரே உண்மையான தெய்வம்,கடவுள்.ஆமென். I’m new to this blog but a big believer in Jesus. That’s how I was brought up. He is the deity of God. Amen.
Thanks be to God for the timing of this message. It strengthens my faith.
I love daily devotionals. what a blessing.
Awesome, simply put! God desire His people to know Him, to trust Him, and have understanding of Him. The book of Proverbs say…”with all you get, get understanding”.
This breathed life to my soul, eager to understand God’s word and ways.
This word has deepen my understanding of God’s ways and his love for me.
I agree fully with the devotion, because God is not a man but the Creator of men, so His ways are surely higher than our ways, so are His thoughts higher than ours, as heaven is higher than earth, so are His ways higher than ours. He is the Most High God. He reigns Supreme and should never be compared to man. He loves man and created him in His own image, but man can never be equal to God. Thanks for the devotion.
The ways of God are clearly different from ours. Until we learn to depend and trust God, our life will be one of struggle.
Our God is great. He leads and guides us through this spiritual journey of life and causes us to grow. Lord Jesus Christ gives us assurance that he is in control and takes care of us always.
I’m so grateful for such powerful teaching of who God really is. I have gained an understanding of why he said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I surrender all of my problems to God today and always.
How wonderful is to learn how to have intimacy with God all mighty through exercising our faith.
Lord God, thank you for all your blessings. You will be our God yesterday, today and forever. In Jesus name, amen.
Key word here is trust. His ways are higher than yours. Just believe.
I am lost and struggling to believe in a loving God, in the way I had done so strongly before my daughter died 13 months ago. My faith has been shattered and I cannot find conviction to believe in the ‘truth’ the bible presents. I have read the promises of eternal life for those who give their hearts to Jesus so many times – as I had done many years ago, read so many promises and now it all feels like a fairytale we tell ourselves to deal with an unknown future in eternity. I trusted God to bring my daughter through all the trials of depression and bipolar disorder – She longed for peace of mind and I prayed with her asking God to give her peace. I have read these verses about God’s ways being higher than ours many times before, when it was easy to agree because my faith hadn’t had to trust my child’s life to him. I believed Jeremiah 29:11 – but for my daughter it didn’t turn out that way and I am grieving like a non-believer. How do I find my faith again so I can have the reassurance I so desperately need that I will see her again in eternity ?
I am so sorry to hear that you’ve lost your darling daughter. As a Mum myself, I can understand how devastating that would be. As you continue to grieve for her, be kind to yourself. Do some nice things for yourself. While you might feel like you have been rejected and you have more questions than answers, tell God how much you are hurting and worrying about seeing your daughter in eternity. He loves you more than you will ever know. He still has a plan for your life. He understands what your daughter faced and how difficult things were for her. He loves your daughter more than you know. He will keep her in his care. He is not a harsh God. He is a God of love. He understands our every weakness and illness. Try and take some baby steps to trust Him to hold you through this time. Hopefully, you have some kind, caring and encouraging friends, who can uphold you in their prayers and who you can share your pain with. You might need you to reach out for help, as well. God bless you with his love, peace and strength.
I am so inspired by this teaching today. It was for me directly. God bless you.
I’ve been constantly praying to see God’s blessing in my life but I cant find it… Even as my faith begins to grow weary, I still believe that He is My LORD and MY God…
His ways are way higher than ours and He knows the plans that He has for us…. what more shall we ask for… the word of God is so good and fresh all the time. Thank you for this reviving scripture.
As Matthew 6 teaches, I will forever trust in the Lord. He has done great things.
Thank you, Jesus Christ. I know you want me to understand that what I am going through right now is not too big for you to answer me. Thank you, God.
Hallelujah! I’m inspired by this article. May God of all grace bless you and the ministry.
I have really benefited and gained knowledge and wisdom. Thanks so much for today passage. May God’s continue to give more understanding and wisdom to guide and feed his flock in truth.
Lord..help me to continue to trust you that you will work out my present source of worry in your own good time. Jesus hears our prayers and he gives us our hearts’ desire. Bless his holy name!
Thank God for this word.. Indeed God’s ways are higher than ours.. May the good God continue to reveal, strengthen and give power to those who need it the most..
This word is timely. I have a sixteen year old grandson who is autistic and his condition is not getting better. He is still God even in this situation.
To the sister that lost her daughter… I would encourage you to activate your faith. I lost my grandson as a result of diabetes at age 26. I thank God for granting him to us. I encourage you to hold onto His garment. Grieving and mourning is a process. He loves you so much. Nobody is exempt from persecution. God didn’t even spare His only begotten son so He feels your pain. Keep up the faith. He didn’t guarantee that life would be easy, but it will get better.