Verse of the Day 4/4

Verse of the Day 4/4

Isaiah 55:8-9

New King James Version

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways," says 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.

I read today's verses in a devotional this morning.  They passage was fitting for several reasons.  Verse 10 (below) speak of the rain and the snow that come down and water the earth and accomplish God's purposes in many ways.  We see it on display all around us with flowers blooming, trees blossoming and the green wheat coming up in the farm fields.

I always think of these verses while flying, and today my wife and I will be flying to PA to see my son's family.  I always love the perspectve from looking down on the earth from take off to up to 30,000 feet.  Flying through the clouds that bring the rain and the snow, sometimes seeing lightning flash across the sky on an evening flight is quite a display.  These storms also achieve His purposes.  We don't fully understand what God is doing in our lives all the time, but He has His purposes that one day we will better understand.

God has His ways and purposes in working in the church as well.  A.W. Tozer writes, "Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech. She can never escape the self-disclosure of her witness concerning God.....Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, "What comes into your mind when you think about God?" we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man. Were we able to know exactly what our most influential religious leaders think of God today, we might be able with some precision to foretell where the Church will stand tomorrow." A.W. Tozer "The Knowledge of the Holy

1 I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining ev'ry day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven's tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

2 My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground. [Refrain]

3 I want to live above the world,
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught a joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground. [Refrain]

4 I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray till heav'n I've found,
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground." [Refrain]

Blessings,

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 55:6-13

New King James Version

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the [a]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.

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says 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 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,
11 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.

12 "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.
13 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."