I had a math teacher in school who was a whiz with mathematical computations. She would pose a problem, write it on the board, and ask us to solve it. I’d do my best. Now I was certainly no math whiz but I felt I could get around ok with mathematical equations. After we’d try, then our math teacher would go to the board and begin solving the problem… urging us to compare what we had done with her approach and solutions. She’d approach the end of the problem and with a flourish turn around and say… There! Is that what you got? Did you see how I did that?
Problem was… her answer was NOT what I had gotten… AND how she got her answer was NOT the way I had gotten mine! I was almost always ready to argue with her answer… Although I hate to admit it, her answer was ALWAYS right and mine was usually wrong.
I really don’t know how many perplexing problems of life I’ve tried to solve on my own. Did my best too! More than I’d like to admit my humanly devised solutions to life issues turned out to be wrong. Then in frustration, I’d go to God’s word, and discover that from a biblical perspective my answer was all wrong… it was my best effort, but it was wrong!
Often God’s solution was counter-intuitive! He said trust – I just tried harder! He urged obedience – I rejected that and used my own solutions. And then the arguing would begin. I’d reject His answers – His solutions – and try something else. Same dead end! Same frustration! Wrong!!
This is what I read in the Bible this morning… “The sum of Your word is truth! Every one of Your righteous rules endures forever! (Psalm 119:160)
Think I’m ready to acknowledge what the Bible says to be true… “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways declares the Lord! For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thought than your thoughts!” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Coffee With The Lord 