If you have been reading your Bible regularly one thing stands out more often than not and that is that God works in mysterious ways. At the intersection of human freedom and God’s sovereignty we see that the Lord uses different processes and events in ways that often baffle us and are far beyond what our human minds can understand.
I love how Max Lucado shares some of his insights concerning how God works in these mysterious ways: “Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” “Though we may not be able to see His purpose or His plan, the Lord of heaven is on His throne and in firm control of the universe and our lives.” “Though you see nothing, he is acting.”1
Consider the following:
What could Abraham have been thinking when God commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac as an offering to the Lord?
Or consider what Joseph must have thought when he was sold into slavery, accused of rape, and imprisoned before he was elevated to prime minster of Egypt.
And of course, perhaps the greatest mystery of all was God’s plan to save fallen humanity. Who could have predicted that God would send His own Son to die on the cross as His means of salvation.
In each of these cases God had a plan to bring about good through ways that defy how we would have done it. I have learned over the years that God doesn’t expect us to understand all of His ways but rather to trust Him that His ways are better than ours. And to be honest how can we as finite beings really expect to understand everything about our infinite God. For we read in (Isaiah 55:8-9): “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor 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.”
And this is where faith and trust in God needs to come into play. If God tells us that He works all things together for good for His children (Romans 8:28), to be thankful in everything and every situation (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to tell God that we even appreciate afflictions (Psalm 119:71), then rather than complain and doubt God’s purposes we should rejoice and praise God for His perfect plans.
I think that Joseph had the best perspective in all of Scripture on understanding some of the mysterious ways of God when he shared with his brothers, many years after they sold him into slavery: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20).
You see in our limited understanding we lack the capacity to fully grasp the full scope of God’s mysterious ways. Since God knows the future He often uses this knowledge to work out things in unique ways in the present to bring about his good and desired results.
My friends, too often we walk by sight and not by faith. While God does indeed work in mysterious ways He is not a mysterious God. As we walk with Jesus we learn to trust Him more and leave the sometimes mysterious ways He delivers His blessings to us, in His hands. In closing I think that Max Lucado offers the best advice I have heard on this topic: “God is God. He knows what he is doing. When you can’t trace his hand, trust his heart.”2
1 All of these quotes are from the following website:
Inspirational Quotes by Max Lucado – page 2 (bibleportal.com)
2 Quote by Max Lucado (Grace for the Moment): “God is God. He knows what he is doing. When you…” (goodreads.com)