God’s Thoughts Are Not Like Ours

that we must accept Him as He exists. Not as a man… Not as a person, but in Spirit and in Truth. John 4:24. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” One might wonder how are we to have a close and intimate relationship with a being that is not a being as we know beings to exist. In truth, we too are spirit. Inside our carnal bodies exist the soul and spirit that are from God. He said in the book of Genesis, “Let us make mankind in our image and in our likeness to be like us:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Might this give us a hint as to what God’s thoughts were for us in the very beginning?

I had a recent episode that I am not sure I can share with you in a manner that is discernable, but I must try. I went through an illness where my body seemed to be shutting down. I felt icky, lost, disconnected, and not in my right mind. Had I not been in the Lord it would have freaked me out, but I go through such things from time to time because of my aim and mission to serve the Lord in whatever manner He deems necessary. Obviously, when you take such a stand you will meet resistance from the dark side of the spiritual abode, once you are serious. It is the job of the dark side to keep us from getting closer to God. If you are not attacked that means that you might not where you thought you were at this point of your eternal journey.

As a bit of a background on me, I am the sort of personality that pushes myself beyond what my mind wants to do. I usually get up early each morning around 3 am to start my walking exercise before 4 am. I do this usually five days a week with a group of similar friends all around my age. It is not easy to force yourself to get out of bed at that time of the morning, but I do it. It has become a habit after so many years of doing so.

Currently, I’m in my seventies, so I guess that makes a difference. Slowly my body is telling me that I can’t still do the things that I always did in the same manner. To me that is unacceptable. I still push and push no matter what resistance I feel.

Here is where the Spirit of the Lord came into the picture. I overslept one morning letting down my fellow walkers. They forgave me. The next time I walked I felt tired and ached but that is what I am used to feeling from time to time. However this time it was not just my willpower, a greater power was telling me to slow down or else. I am not good at taking orders from my weak mind. However, this time it was not my mind that was issuing the orders. The order was coming from an unfamiliar higher place that only surfaces once in a blue moon. When this order comes down all things shut down. It is as though a voice tells me from inside, “So you say you not going to do what!” Then I knew to bow down and obey.

When this essay came to me it was during a time when the Lord was working on several different parts of me at the same time: My body, mind, soul, and spirit. Each within themselves is very complicated. Once they are out of alignment none can work properly so the self, as we know us to be, has to be shut down temporarily to put them back in alignment.

As incredible as God made us we are not the ones ultimately in control. We may have a lot of say about us when it comes to the mind and body, but the soul and spirit are guided by a higher source. You are allowed to push beyond a certain point. When the Maker says to sit down, best do what you are told to do, or it could be very serious repercussions. Breakdowns of several kinds: Illnesses, mental breakdown, heart attack, brain aneurism, or the like. The more stubborn you are the deeper the cut.

However, the sheep usually know the sound of their Shepherd’s voice. Most of them usually obey. But what of those who don’t? As a mature person at my ripened age, I have seen this happen to several of my close friends. Some tried to continue to push but they ran aground. Most of them are no longer with us on this side of eternity. Our Lord gives us a warning, but we must take His caution. He will not force us against our free will. I often think He gave us too much power over these earthly tents. We can love Him or hate Him. We can do good or evil. We can even do things that are against our own well-being. As for me, I only wish to obey and surrender to my Lord.

So our thoughts and ways are so different from our Maker. He allows free reign but everything that appears to be free is not… nor is it good. We want God to act like us but think about how horrible that would be. I want God to punish my enemies but why would God want to punish those whom He made in His likeness and image? Even those who do me wrong might not be at the stage of spiritual maturity yet, so why wouldn’t I want to allow them the space to grow as I have grown? No, my thoughts are not like God’s thoughts, nor are my ways like His. For as high as the heavens are from the earth so are His thoughts and ways higher than mine. Isaiah 55.

“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.” Verses 8-9.

Can’t you hear the voice of our Lord as He speaks these words directly into your heart… and mind? I certainly pray that I can learn to stop being so stubborn before it gets the better of me.

Take heed if this message was intended for you. To almighty God be the glory, Selah!