Day 51

 

The Ways of God

 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

 

Isaiah 55:8

 

 

My son got ear infection after ear infection. I would get frustrated every time I called his pediatrician's office. I would tell them what was wrong but they wouldn't believe me.

I would tell the nurse, "My son has another ear infection. I need y'all to call in to the pharmacy a prescription for some antibiotics." The nurse would ask, "How do you know he has an ear infection?" And I would say, "I know because I am his father."

That was never good enough for the office personnel. I would next be asked, "Does he have a fever?" I would say, "Yes, he has a fever."

She would ask, "What is his temperature?"

I would say, "I don't know I haven't taken it."

Then she would say, "Then how do you know he has a fever?"

I would repeat, "I know because I am his father."

I knew these things. I could tell by the way he tugged his ear and the glassy look in his eyes. After his mom died it was just the two of us and we spent a lot of time together. I knew the ways of my son.

Eventually they sent us to a surgeon to have tubes put in his ears. After having a hearing test the technician told me, "Once he has tubes in his ears he will hear a lot better, develop a bigger vocabulary and talk more."

I had to ask, "Is that a good thing?" You see, I knew my son, she didn't. He already talked my ears off, I wasn't sure I was ready for more.

As for his vocabulary, it was quite developed too. When he was in kindergarten he came home from school complaining one day. "Bobby was choking me in recess so I told him, 'Bobby, you're hurting my larynx.' But he wouldn't stop."

I told him, "Ethan, Bobby doesn't know what a larynx is."

Ethan said, "I told my teacher that Bobby was hurting my larynx and she didn't do anything."

I told him, "Ethan, your teacher doesn't know what a larynx is."

Anyway, the point is I knew my son. I knew if something was wrong. I knew what he was capable of. I knew his ways.

God tells us that his thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways. That is bad news, not knowing the ways of God. The good news is that he doesn't keep them a secret. In fact he has written his ways down for us in his word. We can learn his ways, study his ways, meditate on his ways. With his Spirit to guide us maybe one day if someone asks us what God thinks about something we can tell them, "I know because he is my Father."

 

 

Upon Further Review:

 

Read Isaiah 55:6-11

 

• Though his thoughts are higher than our thoughts is God approachable?
• What are we supposed to do with our way?
• Whose way will prevail in the end?