Corona Devo 285

I get these grandiose ideas. They are never life-changing thoughts, but I always want to make an impact for the Lord, or touch someone's heart in Christ's love, and so I get thoughts, and I plot and plan about how I or we (my family) can carry out these thoughts.

(8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  (9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9

I have (almost) figured out the hard/backfire/less-of-me-more-of-Jesus/ way that God needs to "give (His) greenlight" to our thoughts. Me "pushing-things-through" has caused hurt feelings, disconnects in my marriage/other relationships, and missed opportunities for serving Christ in His ways, which I have missed because I was too busy doing things my way.

The Bible teaches us to seek wisdom and direction from God, and so I am trying not to "push" my ideas/thoughts (too hard) unless I sense God's blessing on them, but I still get in God's way sometimes. Luckily, He holds His ground.

The other night I had a "big thought" about having acquaintances over for supper to get-to-know-them and discuss ministry ideas. (Note to self and reader--God will/can use people to accomplish His plans/thoughts in our lives.) I was deflated when "my thoughts" were not the route that my husband wanted to take and we had his parents over for dinner instead. I love my in-laws as my own parents, but these were not "my thoughts" as to how our evening should go.

But from the moment they walked in the door, their appreciation for our fellowship with them and their love for our family radiated. Both in their 70's: time "with the grandparents" cannot be taken for granted or underestimated. As we made toasts with eggnog, and played charades-- the joy that all of us felt was special, and that was God's "thought" for the evening, which held a much deeper significance than my initial thought of having acquaintances over.

(8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  (9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9

Another example of God's thoughts being higher than mine came only a day later. I've been wanting to reconnect with one of my good friends and I invited her family over for the afternoon. She was busy. I invited them again for later that night. Also a no-go. (This is a perfect example of me pushing "my thoughts"). Luckily, God held His ground.

During that afternoon, I found out that close friends of ours were mourning the suicide of a 14-year-old young girl. They were shaken and broken about this tragedy. Aren't you? In a moment like that--what can you do?

God had cleared our day (even though I tried multiple times to fill it), and so we invited them over for dinner.

(8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  (9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9

Nothing special was served, but the gift of being together with loved ones and feeling supported can satisfy your soul in a way that no meal can. And it felt so good to be with them. God was there, because the evening was His thought.

As the night wrapped up with all of us in a circle of prayer, I experienced that God's ways (are) higher than your ways and (His) thoughts than your thoughts.

I praise the Lord for His sovereignty and His persistence in our lives, because His thoughts are always better, deeper, more-impactful than ours.

I am praying that for today we can tune out of "our thoughts" and tune-in to His.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/

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