Sermon: Faith In God’s Ways

Sermon: Faith in God’s Ways

Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 55:8-13 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower, and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

Introduction: Isaiah 55:8-13 are some of my favorite verses in the bible. They remind me that our God is nothing like an erratic human, He is God and is far above us, He doesn't treat us as we deserve or even as humans treat each other. These verses always bring me comfort in spite of the News reports and the Headlines every day. I get it, I know bad news grabs the attention and travels around the world while the good news is still in the garage. Believers can have faith and confident hope in God’s ways.

How God does things is often not how we would do things. Isaiah reminds us that his ways are higher, his thoughts are utterly different than our own. Isaiah reminds us to put our complete trust in God because his ways and plans are always better than our own and to trust that everything included in His plan is for a greater good. Isaiah 55:8-9 says “'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. In short, he is God, and we are not.

1. He is God and We are Not. The heavens, the sky and the larger universe are much greater than the earth itself, which is how God compares his ways to ours. Our ways are much lower than God's, because our view is limited. We cannot boast about our ways because our understanding is limited also.

God is fair while we are unfair. Ezekiel 18:25-29 says, “Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I.” You see, we may think we are fair, but we are unfair compared to God.

Humans are sinful (Romans 3:23, Mark 7:20-23, Isaiah 64:6, 1 John 1:8). Even our good works are called dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6). Meanwhile, God is good. He has divine greatness (Romans 3:23). God always has been and always will be sinless (1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5). In contrast, our sin means we are unacceptable to God (Mark 7:23). Our sinful selves are against God, and God is against our sinful selves (Galatians 5:17). His ways are not our ways. Knowing that God’s ways are better than ours, we should humble ourselves. God’s ways are good. Our ways are bad. His ways are better than our ways. Because of this, we must humble ourselves and submit to him.

We are humbled by the fact that God’s ways are much better than ours (1 Peter 2:22-24, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, Matthew 26:39 and Matthew 26:42), and they always will be. We have no room for pride.

Isaiah ends this passage with joy. As we trust in God and his ways, joy returns. We don’t have to figure everything out. We don’t have to rely on our own frail understanding. Our sovereign, powerful God has a good plan, and that plan involves his presence going before us.

Sometimes we cannot see how a painful situation will ever work out. Where we see thorn bushes, God sees junipers. Where we see briers, God sees the myrtle. He makes beauty from ashes, life from death, hope from hopelessness. Because his ways are higher, and we can’t understand everything that is happening, we can trust that he will do good things in and through those who trust in Him.