5-24-2024
It’s been said that, “….the Lord works in mysterious ways.” This begs the question: Is this a biblical truth or a myth? Interestingly, there’s not one verse the specifically says this in the Bible, yet, (I’ve been told) that if you search this on the interwebs, you will find 52,000,000 results +/-. You can check that out if you like. I’m going to pass. But while there isn’t a verse that specifically says this, there is ample evidence in Scripture that this is true. For instance, the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, speaking for God, said this:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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, ESV)
As we read passages such as this, we quickly realize that the way God does things, or even the way that God directs us to do things is not always how we would have done them. The matter of grace and forgiveness and Salvation is a beautiful revelation of how different God thinks and acts than we would have.
For salvation to become available for man, God Himself took on human flesh and had to die. Wow! I’m not sure that any of us would have done it that way. I’m a dad and I can’t imagine the thought of sacrificing the life of one of my children so someone else could live. And before you judge me, I’m guessing you feel the same. That goes against everything that is embedded in the parental DNA, right?
That is one of countless examples. C’mon, when someone is hurting or persecuting someone you love, is your first thought to tell them to love that other person? …..to pray for that other person? What about when someone says, “How many times should I forgive someone?” We’d probably say, “Once or twice”. Or we might say, “Forgive? Are you nuts? Punch ‘em!” Yet, Jesus said, “No. Not 7 times, but 70 times 7.” Or what about, “How am I supposed to treat other people?” We’d probably go the, “an eye for an eye” route. Jesus said, “Love others like your Heavenly Father loves you.”
See, Jesus was ALWAYS raising the bar. People would approach Him and say things like, “Look what I’ve done! I’ve kept the law. I’ve followed the commandments,” and even more such things. Then Jesus would say, “…..but I tell you…..”, and then He’d raise the bar. Every. Single. Time. Mysterious, eh?
Not only are God’s ways different from ours but they are on a higher plane. Simply put, God thinks at a level far superior to our thinking. We see the beginning from the end, but God sees the end from the beginning. He knows the outcome before we do anything. I am not saying, He forces us to do His will (that’s an entirely different discussion), but He knows the choices we will make. If you watched a ball game where you already knew the final score, you would watch it differently because you know. That’s the advantage God has over us, He KNOWS!
But back to the question at hand: Does that mean that God really does work in mysterious ways? The dictionary defines, “mysterious” as: “difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify.” If we use that definition, then we’d have to agree that, in deed, God works in mysterious ways.
Perhaps this is why Proverbs 14 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.” and why Proverbs 3 says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding”.
Those are wise words, particularly in the confusing and ever changing world that we live in. There is no specific verse telling us that God works in mysterious ways, but the evidence is there. It’s found throughout Scripture, and if we’re honest, it’s found in our every day lives. And here’s the thing:
You WANT the ways of God to be “mysterious”!
Why? If you and I could figure everything out about God, they why bother following Him? He’d be just like any other person on social media. So embrace “the mysteriousness” of our God! Exercise your faith in Him. Embark on the journey, and see where He will lead you…..