GOD’S THOUGHTS AND WAYS FAR ABOVE OURS – Charles Spurgeon
God’s Thoughts and Ways Far Above Ours
Introduction: Divine Thoughts and Human Limitations
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says 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.” — Isaiah 55:8-9
Very often must the great truth of God expressed by this Scripture have forced itself upon every thoughtful mind. Though we think and are so far like God because, being intelligent beings, we have thoughts of our own, yet our thoughts must forever be weak and fragmentary as compared with His thoughts. And though, as free agents, we have ways of our own choice—in some of which we move with great show of wisdom—yet our ways are upon the earth and cannot attain to the ways of the Lord, which are far above us.
Divine Providence: The Unsearchable Ways of God
This is true as to His proceedings in Providence. God’s designs are vast and far-reaching, and His methods are frequently strange and inscrutable, though always wise. We have little plans to suit our little foresight and power, but His ways are unsearchable! Oftentimes He brings light of excessive brightness out of darkness more dense than usual and produces superior joys out of extraordinary sorrows. In infinite wisdom, He causes the most furious storms to cast up upon the shore the pearl of peace. He is wonderful both in counsel and in working and always chooses that way in which His glory is most abundantly displayed.
Our way, which for a time we think to be the best, when scanned by the enlightened eye, soon turns out to be as much beneath God’s way of accomplishing the desired purpose as the earth is beneath the heavens. Compared with Him, our wisdom is folly and our prudence madness. Indeed, we may not compare ourselves with the Lord, for there is no comparison! Call it a contrast and you have the word. So sublime is Providence that we do not comprehend it! So good is it that we are filled with wonder as we see its designs unfolded. We see its bright side at times and sun ourselves in its warm light and then we adore and magnify the Lord. Yet, we never knew the half of the hidden benefits which He is working out for us, nor do we suspect the Lord of a tenth of the goodness which He stores up for us.
At other times, we have felt the night side of Providence and have sorrowed in its chill shade. Yes, and perhaps we have even rebelled against it. And yet at that very time, the Lord’s purposes have been divinely rich toward us and the night has been the choicest season of benediction. We have not the wings of eagles on which to soar to the exceeding height of the dealings of the Lord. We walk below and look up wonderingly, as men gaze on the stars—we are sure that we are safe beneath the sublime all-covering power, but we are equally clear that the longest experience and the most profound thought will never measure the height of the thoughts and ways of the Eternal!
Divine Grace: God’s Thoughts Far Beyond Human Understanding
The words, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,” are equally true in reference to the things of Divine Grace, for there the Lord of Love has altogether left our thoughts behind. Could man have dreamed that he was the object of eternal love and that God would assume his nature? Could we have imagined that the Almighty would give His only-begotten Son to die for guilty man? The Atonement was a thought which never would have crossed man’s mind if it had not, first of all, been revealed to him by the great Father.
The Divine way of lifting up the poor from the dust and the needy from the dunghill, by His rich, free, Omnipotent Grace, is not of man nor by man! The Lord’s thought of choosing the base things of this world, and things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are—His thoughts of sovereignty and thoughts of Grace—all consistent with His thoughts of justice, are far above human invention and out of man’s range of thought. Even when the Lord explains His thoughts and ways to us, and brings them down to our comprehension as far as they can be, yet we cannot fail to wonder at their elevation and grandeur— “Great God of wonders! All Your ways Are matchless, Godlike, and Divine.”
God’s Wonders: Discovering Blessings Beyond Understanding
Have you not often stood in mute astonishment as you have discovered some fresh blessing of the Covenant unknown to you before? Like a miner who turns over another nugget in the mine and stands in amazed delight, so have you mingled faith with astonishment! Have you not known what it is to do as David did when Nathan brought him tidings of the Lord’s Covenant with him—“Then went king David in and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me up to now? And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” Have not such fits of astonishment been upon you, also? Have you not cried with the Apostle, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”? Hundreds of times between now and Heaven will the same glad astonishment seize us—and perhaps in Heaven itself, wondering will be a leading part of our enjoyment! We shall— “Sing with wonder and surprise At His loving kindness in the skies.” Do not the victorious hosts which stand upon the sea of glass, having the harps of God, sing the song of Moses, the servant of the Lord and of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty”? The thoughts of God will even, in Heaven, be above our most sublime thoughts and His ways, even then, above our most heavenly ways.
How exalted is the Lord! His glory is above the earth and heavens! How tenderly does He overpower us with the splendor of His goodness, soothing where He might confound! In grace and love, who is like You, O Lord? Among the gods who is like You? Understanding faints in attempting to ascend to You! Imagination, to which You have given a half-creative faculty, cannot beget a thought of equal height to Your thoughts, nor conceive a way which may bear comparison with Your ways! What better can we do, great God, than bow our heads and reverently adore?
Three Key Aspects of the Text: Rebuke, Repentance, and Expectation
This morning, in trying to discuss our text, we will endeavor to illustrate it by its own connection. There are many ways of handling Scripture, but to my mind, the freshest and most instructive is to expound it by its surroundings. To pick out a plum here and there is the children’s method, but hardly satisfies students of the Word of God. “Let us not tear it,” is exceedingly good advice with regard to Scripture, which is, in some sense, the garment of God. I will take hold of the central part of the rich piece of silken truth contained in this chapter and I will lift up the whole fabric before you and bid you observe its texture and note how wonderfully it is worked throughout. Exposition is ever nourishing to the Lord’s people and this is what we shall aim at.
I. Rebuke Administered
I think there are three things which are very clear in the text if viewed in its connection. First, in the text there is a rebuke administered. The Lord says, “Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” Do you not observe a sort of ringing of the changes upon the words, “thoughts,” and “ways”? This proves to my mind that the connection mainly lies in this first point. The Lord says, “Forsake your ways, for they are not My ways. Leave your thoughts, for they are not My thoughts. Your ways ought to be My ways. Your thoughts ought to be My thoughts, so far as the weakness of creatureship will allow. But it is not so. You have wandered away from Me. You think not such thoughts as I would have you think. You walk not in such a way as I would have you choose—therefore forsake your ways and your thoughts and turn unto your God.”
It is a remonstrance tenderly administered, mixed up with such sweet exhortation that no degree of bitterness is perceptible in it. The rebuke is enveloped in love and made into a sugar-coated pill. The sweet promise of abundant pardon conceals the reproof.
II. Repentance Encouraged
Now let us take the rebuke and notice, first, the fault of man’s thoughts—“My thoughts are not your thoughts.” As between each other, God’s thoughts are not man’s, though they ought to be. God’s thoughts are love, pity, tenderness. Ours are forgetfulness, ingratitude and hard-heartedness. He thinks of us as lost sheep are thought of by the shepherd, as a prodigal child is thought of by his father. But our thoughts are not of the same kind. In its wandering state, the sheep has no thought of returning to the shepherd and the prodigal son, until converting grace meets with him, has no reciprocal affection towards his father.
III. Expectation Excited
God’s thoughts, again, as to the life which a man needs in order to salvation are very different from man’s thoughts. Did you notice how in this chapter He says, “Hear, and your soul shall live”? He reckons, then, that man is dead till he has heard the Word of God in his soul. Man reckons that he is alive enough—he is perfectly satisfied with the mental life which he possesses and does not desire spiritual life—for as yet he cannot apprehend it.
Here is a wide difference! God thinks of you, O sinner, as dead and beginning to corrupt! He thinks of you as we think of a corpse when we cry, “Bury my dead out of my sight.” But you think of yourself as of a creature fair to look upon, filled with beauty, abounding with ability and able to perform all spiritual acts at pleasure. Your boast is that you have freedom of will and force of heart to set all things right whenever it pleases you—and courage and resolution to right every wrong which may assail you. You are as strong as Goliath and as brave as David in your own esteem! But God doesn’t think so. His eternal Spirit knows that you are dead—and He has come to bring you life—take heed that you do not reject it!
Conclusion: God’s Ways Are Higher Than Ours
Man likes not the thoughts of God! If God thinks of man as depraved, he will not have it—he feels that it is a shameful thing to speak thus of such a noble being as himself! If God declares that man is so fallen that he must be born again, he will not have it—he will sprinkle a few drops of water on a baby’s face—say some mumbo jumbo and presto!—The thing is done! If God thinks that the sinner shall be cast into Hell where their worm dies not—men’s fears are quieted by being assured by some great Divine that there is no Hell—that he cannot find mention of it in the Bible and that at the worst, he will only cease to be.
But the text is clear—“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” May we rise to meet His thoughts and follow His ways, for in His grace, we find salvation!
God’s Thoughts and Ways Far Above Ours
Introduction: Divine Grace Beyond Human Understanding
Do not stand back because you cannot find a parallel to the grace which God declares that He will display towards you. What if you have looked over all the history of man and you can find nothing among men that can equal the abundance of Divine pardon? Do not, therefore, hesitate to believe, for God’s thoughts are above all human thoughts.
Man finds it hard to forgive at all. One of the sternest lessons which some men have to learn is to forgive their brothers seventy times seven. Man can, with difficulty, forgive repeated offenses—but he usually draws an argument for anger from the repetition of the provocation. Nor can he forgive a large number of offenders—he might pardon one—but to forgive many is more than most men will even attempt to do! They are filled with indignation and resist those who annoy them. When offenses are aggravated willfully, when they provoke by being committed against love and against kindness, men will not forgive. Even the most forgiving become, at last, incensed—but God passes by myriads of transgressions! Do not wait until you find a man who will forgive you—God can do what man never dreams of doing. His thoughts are above your thoughts and His ways above your ways.
God’s Unfathomable Mercy and Forgiveness
Perhaps conscience has been busy as to your shortcomings and you feel yourself to be self-condemned. In the honesty of your judgment, you have felt compelled to cry, “I could not do otherwise than pass sentence of condemnation upon myself if I were made my own judge.” ‘Tis a right verdict, but do not forget that Jesus died for sinners, and now, far above all thoughts of ours, Mercy’s wing can mount! Yes, for time everlasting, mountains of Jehovah’s forgiving love are above the heavens—Divine Grace is above all things! Think of this, O repenting sinner, and be encouraged!
The Infinite Forgiveness of God Compared to Man’s Limited Forgiveness
Man’s forgiveness is seldom free, like that of God’s, who delights to pardon sin! No sooner do we transgress than God is ready to forgive! Man’s forgiveness is never so full as God’s, for the Lord harbors no resentment. He preserves no memory of our transgressions—He casts them into the depths of the sea and remembers them no more! Man’s forgiveness is seldom so real as God’s, for though man says he has forgiven, he does not, afterward, delight in the offender as he may have done before. There is a chill in his heart towards the person who injured him, and by his cautious dealing, he shows that he remembers the wrong. But the Lord God so effectually and wholly forgets transgression that He presses the offender to His heart, adopts him into His family, and lifts him up to dwell forever with Him above!
The Divine Exceeding of Human Expectations
Now, Beloved, according to our text, whatever your ways towards God shall be in the future, He will exceed them! Are your ways now right towards your Father? Do you begin with trembling footsteps to seek His house? Lo, He runs to meet you! The prodigal’s Father meets him far more than halfway, for His ways are above our ways! Do you stand before Him weeping? It is well—these ways of repentance are good, but better are the ways of God—for Jesus stands before you, bleeding for your sake. He gives blood instead of tears! Do you love the Redeemer because of His dying for you? Alas, you do not love so greatly as He loves you—His love is a sea and yours a tiny brook. Will you, from now on, give Him all your life? Yet not such a life as He gives to you—a life perfect and eternal—and all for you! He lives for you and says, “Because I live, you shall live, also.”
The Generosity of God’s Grace and Love
Come back, O penitent, for when you do come back, if Divine grace has put some goodness into your ways, yet there shall still be infinitely more goodness in the ways of God! And as to your thoughts—can you think of how He will receive you? Oh, you cannot dream how gladly He will meet you and how kindly He will receive you! You are about to cry, “I am not worthy to be called Your son,” but He will say to His servants, “Bring forth the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet!” You hope that there will be gladness when you are restored, but you have no idea of the music and the dancing which will flood Heaven itself with rejoicing! You faintly hope that God will love you, but you have no idea how much, nor what great things His love will do for you! The half has never been told you by the most faithful witness for God. Those who have experienced most of the Divine love have never been able to communicate to you any idea of what that love is! God’s thoughts are above your thoughts as much as the heavens are above the earth! Come, then, to Him! Infinite grace awaits you. A tender reception, a perfect cleansing, a Divine adorning—eternal security and endless bliss shall all be yours! Why do you linger? The life of God shall be in you and the joy of Christ shall fill you to the full! If this does not encourage men to repent, what can?
The Promise of Expectation: What to Expect From God’s Ways and Word
III. And now let us touch upon the third point, which is this—EXPECTATION EXCITED. I said I was going to keep to the connection of the text and so I will. But this time the link is forward instead of backward. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For”—you see there is the link word, “for,” to join our text to that which follows—“For as the rain comes down and the snow from Heaven and returns not there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be.”
The Unfailing Power of God’s Word
Now, if you listen to the Lord and take His thoughts to be your thoughts—and earnestly pray Him to make His ways to be your ways from this time forth and forever—you may justly indulge the highest expectations and they shall be exceeded! This chapter tells you what to expect. First, you are to expect that the Lord’s Word will be unfailing to you. What is this “Word”? You see we have had “thoughts” and “ways” and now we come to “Word.” God’s Word is His thoughts spoken, and God’s Word is, also, His ways, for, “He speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast.” His “Word” is “thoughts” and “ways” put together! Now that “Word” of His shall never be broken to you, poor sinner. Forsake your ways, forsake your thoughts—and come and trust in God and His Word shall be like Himself—Immutable, Eternal, Infallible, and full of boundless blessing to you! It shall be powerful to bless you, mighty to grow you—it shall be like rain and snow which go not back to Heaven, but sink into the earth to make it bring forth and bud. From that day forward, when you are reconciled to God, you may take any promise you find in the Word of God and say, “Lord, fulfill this Word unto Your servant which You have caused me to hope,” and it shall be so.
The Joy of Repentance and Return to God
Come and trust Him—and promises which now appear before you as far too rich for such a poor worm as you are, shall be fulfilled! They shall come down upon your soul like gentle showers and make you full of gladness. Such is the fullness of its power that you shall be able to respond to God’s Word by a holy and gracious life—and your soul, barren as it now is—shall be made to bring forth and bud. That is one blessed thing which you may confidently expect, for you are coming to a God of great ways and thoughts!
God’s Joyful Blessings Awaiting the Penitent
The next is that you are returning to a God whose ways are so much above your ways and His thoughts so much above your thoughts that your heart shall be filled with joy—“you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.” God will not merely break off your chains and say in cold accents, “You are free,” but He will release you amid the music of the spheres! And angels shall lead you forth in peace and your tongue shall sing, “I am forgiven! I am forgiven! I am accepted! I am redeemed! Behold, now do I go forth out of my captivity with joy and God’s angels lead me forth with peace.” Who would not be a penitent if such things may be expected from the sublime grandeur of the goodness of God?
The Transformative Power of God’s Ways
Next to this, all your surroundings shall minister to your gladness. “The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing. And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” In your journey through life, mountains have, up to now, been hard to climb and forests tangled and dark have been your dread. But now so greatly good is God to those whose ways become His ways, that the mountain which you feared shall break forth into song and the forest at which you trembled shall become an orchestra in which every tree shall clap its hands for joy! You do not know what awaits coming sinners! You that are willing to hear that your soul may live—you that are willing to accept the Covenant which God made with great David’s greater Son—you shall see the whole world robed in the garments of praise and your heart shall be so filled with gladness that it shall overflow and flood all nature with joy!
A New Creation in Christ: A Transformational Change
And then there shall happen to you wonderful transformations. Because God’s ways are above your ways, He will do what you never thought could be done! The thorns shall be transmuted into fir trees and the briers into myrtles! There shall be a change in you, such a wonderful change, that all things shall become new! There shall be a change in all that concerns you—the Bible shall become a treasure and the Sabbath a delight! The Mercy Seat a loved resort and the path of obedience a way of pleasantness! Sin shall be uprooted and virtue shall be implanted! Evil habits shall be withered and holy principles shall be nourished! You do not know and you cannot guess what honor, pleasure, dignity, and glory it is to be in Christ! You who have never come to God cannot conceive the bliss of life with God by Jesus Christ!
The Eternal Nature of God’s Mercy
Last of all, this mercy is to endure forever. Man’s thoughts are temporary and his ways but for a season. God is eternal—when He thinks, His thoughts abide forever—and when He acts, His ways are everlasting. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance—He never changes His mind! Perhaps you think that salvation is a thing to be found and lost, to be gained and forfeited, to be enjoyed today and deplored tomorrow—and truly, there are some who tell us so. But so speaks not the Word of the Lord, for it is written, “It shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Once come and walk in the ways of God and His grace will keep you in them and you shall find a growing delight in them! Once come and learn the thoughts of God and surrender your intellect and heart entirely to His supremacy—and if it is a sincere surrender—His Holy Spirit will, from now on, guide your thoughts and direct your beliefs so that you shall continue steadfast in His fear and your path shall be that of the just which shines more and more unto the perfect day.
Conclusion: The Boundless Grace of God
Oh, who would not yield to such a God as our God, whose goodness excels our largest desires? If I were engaged upon the wretched errand of charging you to submit to a remorseless tyrant who would never forgive, my message would be hard to deliver! But because Jesus, the Son of God, has died and by His death has expiated sin, we are authorized and empowered to cry in the name of God, “Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts! And let him return unto the Lord and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
If all this should seem to be too good to be true, as often it has done—if the sinner should feel unable to believe that he can obtain immediate forgiveness for a long life of transgression—we are then commanded to tell you that you must not measure God by yourself. You must not calculate what He can do by what your fellow man can perform. The Lord can forgive what otherwise could never be forgiven. He can pour out mercies so multiplied as to baffle human arithmetic! He can bless you beyond your desires. He can delight you beyond a dream and He can finally give you a Heaven which “eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man.” Close in with Him, soul, at once, while yet in the Person of the Lord Jesus He commands your faith! Go not about by good works and prayers and tears to obtain forgiveness! Spend not your money on that which is not bread, but come, penniless and poor as you are, and buy the wine and milk of Covenant blessings without money and without price! Lend the willing ear and yield the believing heart. “Hear, and your soul shall live!” Believe, and you shall be saved! Through Jesus Christ we proclaim the Good News and, for His sake, we implore a blessing upon it. Amen.