“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 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...” (Isaiah 55:8-11)
One of the best marriage books I have read is called “Love and
Respect” by Emmerson Eggerichs. He is able to talk about some pretty deep and difficult
things with light hearted humor but is able to send his point home. One of the
more impactful things he says is when he describes the difference between how
men and women communicate and hear. He says women have “PINK” sunglasses and
hearing aids and men have “BLUE”. As an example; He says typically, when a
women says she has nothing to wear, she means she has nothing “new” to wear.
When a man says he has nothing to wear, he means he has nothing “clean” to
wear! In my 30+ years of marriage you would have thought I would have clued
into this at some point but Noooo! I had to read it in a book before the
“light” went on. Only then did I start to piece things together :P
I had
an epiphany one day when I realized that, I “SAY” I know men and women are different,
but when it comes down to it, I keep EXPECTING Tom to think, act and behave
like me, and then I get upset, surprised or confused when he doesn’t. Bottom
line is, I keep thinking he understands me and I understand him but, I don’t
REALLY understand his language and he doesn’t really understand mine, If we
truly want to have a healthy marriage, we have to learn each other’s languages…
which, of course takes time and effort and is NOT easy!! What is so hard about
it is that we use the same words and it SOUNDS like we are saying the same
things… but, we are not… It would be a whole lot easier if I heard French and
he heard Spanish then we could hear the difference, then can work with that! :)
So, to take this a step further. One day as I was pondering this
pink and blue language barrier thing, the thought came to me that the same
thing happens with God too!! How many times in my life have I heard Him say
something and the end result looked completely different than what I had imaged…
and then I end up getting surprised, upset and/or confused? Can you relate? Isaiah 55:8 says it really clearly “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, declares the LORD. The heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” So here it is again, I READ and KNOW that God’s ways and
thoughts are higher than MY ways and thoughts but I keep EXPECTING Him to DO
things MY way! God’s language is not pink or blue but, I think it is more
ETERNAL or WHITE. While I do believe he applies things in a “temporal” sense, His
perspective is much more ETERNAL than temporal. We are so temporally focused
and entrenched, we hear things through that filter and apply His words that way
too. I think Job got this message at the end of his ordeal when he said “I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted… Surely I spoke of things I did not
understand, things too wonderful for me to know… My ears had heard of you but
now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:1-5) He got
it!! After all that he went through, which I am sure was not on his agenda, he
got the “eternal” perspective and understood God in a new and wonderful way.
Could
this be a part of the “transforming process” that Paul talks about in Romans? “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing
and perfect will.” (Romans
12:2) I believe that, if we let Him, we are being shifted from “temporal”
thinking to His “eternal” perspective. The more we see through eternal eyes and
hear through eternal ears, the more we will understand God’s language and the
less we will be surprised.
We can also call this a language of TRUST. Because His ways are
so much higher and greater, there is NO WAY we can really comprehend all that
He is doing or saying, and we need to just TRUST Him with whatever it is. In
Hebrews 11 the writer goes through a lengthy list of people who were known to
have lived by faith; Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Rahab… and at the
end of this chapter of faith he says a very startling thing “These were all commended for their faith, yet none
of them received what had been promised.” (Hebrews 11:39). What!! God promised them something, but they
never received it!!? So, were they wrong in trusting and believing in Him?? No,
they weren’t wrong. They knew God well enough to TRUST Him no matter what
things looked like. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
I love this part of the Isaiah scripture “…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...” (Isaiah 55:8-11). God doesn’t
make empty promises. EVERYTHING He says will come to pass in His perfect way
and timing. If it doesn’t go “my” way, will I trust that God is God and I am
not!? I always have a choice in how I see things. I can go to my default “pink”
or I can go the extra steps and trust Him and allow Him to teach me his
“eternal” language.
Father, I thought I was done with school but apparently I am
not! If I want a healthy relationship with You I need to learn Your language
and allow You to transform my heart and mind to think and see Your eternal
perspective. Help me Lord to trust You… “For
no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ.
And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2
Corinthians 1:20)
