THE THOUGHTS AND WAYS OF THE LORD

THE THOUGHTS AND WAYS
OF THE LORD




ONE of the most true sayings
Of all the bible


Comes out of the
BOOK OF ISAIAH


“For my thoughts
Are not your thoughts


NEITHER are your ways-my ways
Declares the Lord” Isaiah 55:8


For example
WHEN I was younger
I thought


IF I prayed
A certain way


It would be answered
In a certain way


GOD THINKS DIFFERENTLY
There is NO DOUBT about that


I prayed for LIFE-
“To live for my family-friends-and
ALL people everywhere”


And I never dreamed
God would answer my prayers
SO LITERALLY


I prayed to live
FOR OTHERS
To help others along the way


And I am glad that I did


But I have to admit
To be in situations
WHERE you are unable
To help yourself


To be DEPENDENT
On everyone else-IS DIFFICULT


My ways
ARE NOT YOUR WAYS
Says the Lord


“I will INSTRUCT you
And teach you
In the way you should go


I will COUNSEL YOU
With my loving eye on you” Psalm 32:8


Let us EXAMINE
Some teachings of the Lord
Some teachings of Jesus


Jesus gives us
The first two commandments


“Jesus replied:
'LOVE the Lord your God
With all your heart
With all your soul
And all your mind'


This is the first
And greatest commandment
And the second
IS like it


'LOVE your neighbor
As yourself


ALL the law
And the prophets
HANG on these two commandments'” Matthew 22:37-40


My ways are NOT
Your ways
Says the Lord


The thoughts and ways
Of the Lord are different
And they REVOLVE around
LOVE-and FORGIVENESS-and KINDNESS


THE INTANGIBLE QUALITIES OF GOD


Or TRY loving your enemies
As the Lord taught (and did)


“But to you who are listening
I say:


'LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Do good to those who hate you


BLESS THOSE who curse you-
PRAY for those who mistreat you'” Luke 6:27-28


Or TRY FORGIVING SOME ONE
Who hurts you in the same way
OVER and over and over again


“Jesus answered:
'I tell you NOT seven times-
But seventy-seven times'” Matthew 18:22


Or TRY living the BEATITUDES
That begin in Matthew 5:3


“BLESSED are the
POOR IN SPIRIT


For theirs is
The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
….....”


YES-the thoughts and the ways
Of the Lord are different


And I WISH
I could say that
I have ALWAYS lived up to them


But I TRY


And that is the BEST-I think
That anyone of us can do


IN JESUS' NAME


Robert P. Wallman
9-23-15




1-8 & 9=2019