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Scripture for the day: 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.”
Thought for the day: I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to solve a Rubik’s Cube and thinking of verses such as the ones above and others like, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” And I’ve thought of just how confusing even the little things in our lives can be. As for the Cube, I’ve even gone on line to see how it might be done. Did you know there are literally millions of web sites dedicated to that little piece of plastic frustration? You may have guessed I haven’t figured it out yet. In fact, I haven’t even figured out the terminology. “Turn the left face up; the right face down; the front face left twice while holding your breath and standing on one foot (the left if you want it to go right and the right if you want your color to end up on the bottom of the middle left row). Now I ask you; how is a normal average person supposed to figure out what they’re talking about?
It kind of reminds me of a story: When Moses went up to the Sinai to receive the oral explanation of God's laws, he was quite confused with the commandment "Do not boil a calf in its mother's milk" (Exodus 23:19). In fact, the Lord God said this same thing three times.
Moses (perplexed): I don't quite understand this line about boiling a calf in its mothers milk. What does it mean?
God: It means, don't boil a calf in its mother's milk.
Moses thinks for a while and replies: Oh, I get it, it means that we shouldn't eat meat products and dairy products on the same plate.
God: No, it means don't boil a calf in its mother's milk.
Moses: Oh, I get it. We should have a separate set of dishes for dairy and meat products.
God: No, it means don't boil a calf in its mother's milk.
Moses: Oh, I see. It means we should wait an appropriate amount of time after eating flesh before we can intake of milk or any dairy product. But fish is o.k. since it doesn't give milk.
God: No, it means don't boil a calf in its mother's milk.
Moses: What about chicken? It doesn't give milk but it sort of tastes like the flesh of a milk producing beast.
God: MOSES! IT MEANS DON'T BOIL A CALF IN ITS MOTHER'S MILK!
Moses: OK I think I got it all now. We should have a separate set of cooking and eating utensils for meat and dairy products. After partaking of meat, we should wait an appropriate amount of time before we partake of any dairy products. Fish should not be considered as meat since it doesn't give milk. Chicken, on the other hand should be considered as meat even though it doesn't produce milk since it tastes a lot like it does.
God: Have it your way.*
Now doesn’t that sound just like you and me? I have shelves full of books written by countless men and women much more educated and intelligent than I will ever be. All of them have studied the scriptures until their eyesight has suffered, I think. And there are depths of understanding neither they nor you and I will ever be able to fathom. God is so much more than any of us could ever think or imagine; that’s why He made the plan of salvation and restoration so simple, because He knew we’d never be able to figure it out on our own.
I’ve had a thought (and I’ll try to keep it simple enough that even I can understand it); how much simpler our lives would be if we just decided that, if God said it, I can believe it; if God directs it, I can do it; if God wills it; I can live with it. Hmmm, worth a try, don’t you think?
Now go take on your world. - Bill
* Author unknown