Does God Know What He Is Doing?

A rainstorm? What can we learn from a rainstorm? In Hawaii, working on a message on humility that would encourage my flock, sitting on the back patio of my in-laws home, a cloudburst sent waves of water down. The patio had a roof that would keep the rain off me, however the sound of the large drops hitting the roof lulled my mind into a meditative state. Watching the water make its way through the puzzle of the grouted tile flooring was mesmerizing; my eyes were drawn to blades from the freshly mowed lawn being washed across the patio floor. The blades that were over the top of the tile became stuck and could not move. The blades that were in the grout grooves moved quickly and with ease. There was the example of humility. Taking the lower road, we will move quickly to our goal – if we remain proud and take the higher road, we will become sluggish and stagnant in our growth. We can learn a lot from a rainstorm!

God’s wisdom is far beyond what we can understand, yet in many ways; at its foundation, there is simplicity! Like the example above, the blades of grass that took the lower road excelled. It is a simple principle, yet it is the every opposite of what the world’s normal view is. The world's view of how to get ahead, become important, is by taking the higher ground, by being self sufficient, and self-exalting. God’s way is the in the other direction. 

James 4:6, 10 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”... Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

 

The more selfless you are, the more God will exalt you.

God's Way is excellent – even though we may not quite “get it".

2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Many times, something we may think is not very important, may turn out to surprise us.

Take a common thistle; most of us think it is a painful shrub only. Yet it is Scotland's Emblem! Why? In history Scotland was at war with the Danes. The Danes planned a sneak attack, they came barefoot. When their men began stepping onto thistles, their screams removed the secret!

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

Many times this reality causes us a problem with praising God's ways. We demand to understand those ways, before we accept them. The opposite should be the case. Accept His ways, praise Him for them...and in time, His time...He may illuminate our understanding of why He led the way He did!

Matthew 16:21–23 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.  Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Peter's intentions were good, but he was thinking in man's way. Jesus had to remind him, that God's ways are different. None of our Lord's disciples understood the way of salvation, until after the resurrection.  How fortunate for all of us, that Jesus trusted His Father’s way, if not we all would be lost forever!!

Meditation Questions: Why do we find it so hard to walk by faith, and why do we desire to walk by sight? How can we praise God for things we do not understand? What does it mean to trust? How can we measure our own humility? Can we? Should we? How important do you think you are? What would your closest friends say about that? Have you ever asked them?