TOPIC: HIS WAYS ARE NOT YOUR WAYS
MEMORISE:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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)
READ: 2 KINGS 6:1-7 (KJV)
1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
MESSAGE:
God's ways are beyond natural human comprehension. He can choose to make a donkey talk (Numbers 22:28), provide resources in unusual places (Matthew 17:27), and use a sworn enemy to arrange for a fellow's promotion at work like He used the Egyptians to sponsor the Israelites' journey in the wilderness (Exodus 12:36). As a believer, don't think you can understand all of God's ways - all He requires from you is your faith and obedience. When you ask Him for something, you should do whatever He tells you to do and believe that He is more than able to meet your requests.
People who think that God is too slow and that they can handle things by themselves often get into trouble. Abraham learnt this the hard way when Sarah convinced him to help God by having a child through her servant (Genesis 16:2). That single decision is the cause of some of the major problems in the world today. If God has said He will do something, He will do it to perfection; you cannot do it better than Him.
In today's Bible reading, the sons of the prophets wanted to build a bigger accommodation, and they came to tell Elisha. They decided to go beside the Jordan River to get wood for the construction, and while the others were excited to start the project, one of them asked Elisha to go with them.
Beloved, it is good to make plans and embark on projects. However, if you don't involve God in all you do, your 'well-laid-out plans' can crumble. This was what happened to the sons of the prophets. While they were happily cutting down wood and gathering it for their building project, they suddenly had a setback. One of them had borrowed an axe, and while cutting wood with it, the axe-head fell into the water. Apart from negatively affecting the completion timeline of the project, this setback also meant that they had incurred some debt because the axe was borrowed. Thank God one of them had earlier involved Elisha. He simply asked them where the axe-head fell, cut down a stick, and threw it into the water. What happened next cannot be explained by science; the stick sank, and the heavy axe head swam.
God's ways are not man's ways, and only a fool will always try to explain how God works. When it comes to relating with God, faith and obedience is all He expects of you because His ways are past finding out.
KEY POINT:
You cannot always understand God's ways. All you need to do is believe in Him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ZECHARIAH 1-5
AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE
HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]
3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
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