Verse of the Day 5/29

Verse of the Day 5/29

Isaiah 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

and your ways are not My ways."
This is the Lord's declaration.
⁹ "For as heaven is higher than earth,
so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.    Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

For today's verses we'll return to Isaiah 55 and pick up where we left off yesterday.  When we don't read God's Word or pray to Him every day we are letting, allowing our thoughts direct our actions.  It is easy to fall into the "my way" syndrome.  Think of the old Frank Sinatra song, "I stood tall and did it my way".  In the end that will lead to emptiness and nothing accomplished for God and likely other people.  No matter "how good" we may think of ourselves on our own, left to ourselves our ways will not be His ways in the long run.  The sooner we come to that realization the better off we will be and the more that He will accomplish through us as we follow His ways.

Our ways, like the lyrics of "My Way" will fade, but His Word will not.  It endures and will endure forever.

The word is alive
And it cuts like the sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and the frail
Breathing life into all who believe

The word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But its truth, it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The word is alive

Simple strokes on a page
Eternities, secrets revealed
Carried on from age to age
It speaks truth to us even still

And as the rain falls from heaven
Feeds the earth before it returns
Lord, let Your word fall on us
And bring forth the fruit You deserve
With eyes wide open, let us see

The word is alive  (The Word is Alive - Casting Crowns)

The words from this song came to mind as I read today's verses and the passage below.  The lines of the last stanza above tie in with verses 9 and 10 from the passage.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Isaiah 55:6-11 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ "Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
⁷ 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.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹ 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 shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.