His Thoughts; His Ways

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. Isaiah 55:8-9 NRSV


It would be easy to give up and let the world have it's worldly way with you. But, the Word of the LORD reminds us to seek Him and His Way. God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. Following in the way our ego would have us go will only prove to be devastating to our lives and the world around us.  And... it may also be a good thing to remember that no matter how bad things get, God is still in charge. He can turn the greatest tragedy into the most marvelous triumph. From the most troubled time, He will lead us out in joy and lead us forth in peace; the peace that only He can give.

 

Seek the LORD and come to the One who knows the way; who is The Way. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 47 - As Relentless As A Tsunami

"The word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

Thus says the Lord:
See, waters are rising out of the north
    and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who live in it.
People shall cry out,
    and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    at the clatter of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
parents do not turn back for children,    so feeble are their hands." (Jer 47:1-3 NIV)

The word of the LORD is promising destruction to the Philistines. He will send an army like an overflowing torrent of water. They shall overflow the land; all that fills it, the city, and those who live in it. People shall cry out, and all inhabitants of the land shall wail.

We have seen the destruction of tsunamis. There is nothing that can stop or even slow down the wall of water as it destroys everything in its place. The LORD has promised to destroy the enemy of His children and nothing can save them. He will send an army from the north to put an end to their attacks on others.

What the LORD sends out, nothing can stop, nothing can slow it down, except that the LORD, Himself, will change His mind. There are no magical incantations, no offerings, no false gods, no works of man's hands that can change the flow of the tide once the LORD has ordained it.

This last week we had confirmation classes at Zion for our Junior High Youth. We talked about God calling and ordaining His people. I reminded them. with a smile on my face and a shocked look on most of theirs, that when God calls you to service, He will keep calling no matter how long it takes for you to say, yes. May as well stop saying no to God now; because, sooner or later you will listen and follow. It is much easier to say yes to God when you are young than fighting against it 'till you are old when you will turn and say yes, anyway. God calls whom He will call. He will ordain whom He will ordain. What He promises will come to pass.

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
    and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."  (Isaiah 55:10-11)

God's Peace - Pr. J