“For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isa 55:8 AV)
To many, this is a familiar verse. We often use it as a proof text for the infinite nature of God. All His attributes are infinitely possessed. There is no measure for any of His attributes. He is infinite in scope and in time. Because He is infinite and we, finite, His ways are past finding out. Because He dwells both in and out of time, and we are limited to time, there simply is no comparison. The context applies this verse as a subtle rebuke to errant Israel, but also a verse of hope in that God will do for Israel what Israel cannot begin to appreciate. Because His ways are not our ways nor His thoughts identical to our thoughts, we live in wonder of His hand. He is able to do above and beyond what we ask or think.
We got a scare this past two-weeks. Lisa’s PET scan came back with changes to her cancer. With the type and grade of cancer she has, that would have been terrible news. With her cancer, the tumors are typically extremely slow-growing. According to most research, it takes up to ten years for fresh growth to appear. Someone could have this cancer in their late fifties or early sixties, then die of old age never knowing they were living with it. So, when there was fresh growth indicated in only eighteen months, we were prepared for some concerning news. In my mind, I was already devising a plan to live and thrive without my only half. In my mind, I was organizing my life as a single adult. I was beginning to prepare for what I believed was inevitable. Then came to incredible follow-up doctor’s appointment. It started out strange. Our oncologist was talking to us about secondary issues Lisa has been having. We spent a good twenty to twenty-five minutes on complications from her surgery. We thought this was a bit strange believing her cancer had come back. Then our doctor finally got around to Lisa’s scan. Her prognosis was that one spot had always been there, but was not showing up. The other, which was far more serious, was physiological and not indicative of new cancer growth. In other words, it was a false positive. GREAT NEWS!
One would think that receiving such news would result in a joy so dramatic that it was uncontainable. But that was not our reaction. Rather, we received the news with humility and grace. We are in the presence of God, stunned by what He has done for us. The hand of God can be rather awesome. And I mean that in the most somber of ways. When the LORD moves heaven and earth for the saint, he is never the same again. I liken it to the parting of the Red Sea. No doubt there was great relief at the hand of God when they realized Egypt was no longer a threat. But imagine looking the Red Sea parted one side against the other. The water would have stood several hundreds of feet tall on either side. No doubt they rejoiced at the hand of God. Moses wrote a song to reflect just that. I can imagine the average Israeli standing at the brink of the sea. A child would have been giddy. He or she cannot comprehend the scope of what God was doing. But the adult would be stunned. Never before had they seen God do such a thing. This is exactly how we felt. His ways are not our ways. The miracles of God are truly miracles when we cannot comprehend just how God does a thing. Praise the LORD that we cannot!