Ways and Means, Part One

Isaiah 55:8-9 “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.”

God is the Chairman of our personal Ways and Means Committee. We know He’s changing what we do, taking us from sin to righteousness, from fear to faith, from every lesser attitude to love. But He’s also working continuously on the way we do things—how we do them. God is concerned about outcomes, of course—our actions are important. But the Lord is also concerned about process—how we do what we do.

Some of us don’t even realize we have ways. We just do what we do in the most natural way possible—our way. But if the Lord is in our lives, our ways have to change. Malachi 3:6 says “… for I am the Lord, I do not change.” Therefore, in the interaction between us and the eternal God, we’re the ones that continually have to change as we are made into the image of Christ (II Corinthians 3:18).

First of all, He wants to change our thinking on how we do what we do. Before we met Christ, we leaned on things we shouldn’t have—our own strength, our own perspectives. We couldn’t help ourselves. Now we are faced with a God who wants us to do His will His way, and that’s not always logical to us. Walking around Jericho for a week, then walking around seven times on the last day isn’t logical (Joshua 6). The ancient Israelites felt at times that previous success meant that you didn’t have to seek the Lord. That seemed logical, yet completely blew up in the faces of those looking to conquer Ai after conquering Jericho (Joshua 7). Then God added to the mix by sending hailstones and having the sun stand still in the victory of Joshua 10.

Our way of doing anything is never the best way; it’s just our way right now. We can always learn a better way—of relating to people, communicating, solving problems, getting what we want, and achieving spiritual victory.

Prayer: Lord, as you change what I do, please change how I do things. Make me aware of Your ways in all I do. Bring me into the ways of grace, love and godly wisdom.