My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts

Man should be careful not to believe that he is on the same intellectual level as God.  While there have been some great minds throughout history, none can begin to equal the infinite knowledge that God possesses.  It is correct to say that God is omniscient.  That simply means that God is all-knowing, and that nothing is out of His understanding.  It is written, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3).  Likewise, “Great is our Lord, and of great power:  his understanding is infinite” (Psm. 147:5).  Further, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20).  A wise man will recognize and accept this truth.  He will not fall victim to the idea that his thoughts and ways are equal, or superior, to God’s. Instead, he will learn from the words of Isaiah:  “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:  and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (Isa. 55:7-8).

          Sadly, there are times when men refuse to accept that God knows better than we.  Take for instance, Naaman the Syrian.  The Bible describes Naaman as “…a great man…honourable…a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper” (2 King 5:1).  To be a leper in that time meant that you might be ostracized by some individuals due to the fear of catching the leprosy.  Leprosy was highly contagious, and there was no natural cure known for such.  It certainly was not a welcome thing in society.  So, one can imagine the great joy that might have overcome Naaman when he learned of a prophet that “…would recover him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:3-4).  With the approval of the king of  Syria, Naaman made his journey to Samaria, and to Elisha the prophet.  Upon arrival, “…Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean” (2 Kings 5:10).  Keep in mind, Elisha is a prophet of God, and therefore the instructions that he gives Naaman are from a divine source and not from the human mind.  This was God’s will on the matter.  It might not seem rational, reasonable, or realistic, but keep in mind, God does not think as man does.  Nothing is too much for God.  The angel Gabriel once said, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).  Lamentably, Naaman’s first reaction is one of anger.  One would think that such a simple command would be readily accepted and obeyed.  However, “…Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  may I not wash in them, and be clean?  So he turned and went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:11-12).  Naaman had a preconceived idea of how God would heal him.  So, when Elisha revealed God’s instructions, Naaman reacted with defiance and disobedience.  Naaman’s thoughts were one thing, but God’s thoughts were another.  Thankfully for Naaman, his servants reasoned with him.  Naaman finally accepted the will of God, and obeyed.  It is written, “Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God:  and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).

          How many times do people today behave similarly to Naaman?  When a person is shown that it is commanded that he must be baptized into Christ, for the remission of sins, why do so many refuse to obey such a simple command (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38)?  When God commands that Christians observe The Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week, why do so many people refuse to obey such a simple command (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)?  When a man learns the necessity of faithful living, why do so many people refuse to obey such a simple command (Rev. 2:10; 2 Tim. 4:6-8)?  The answer is the same now as it has been for years.  Some people place their thoughts and ideas before the Word of God.  Friend, would it not be better now to accept God’s will and obey?  Refusal to do such will result in our condemnation and punishment (2 Thess. 1:6-10).
~ Corey Barnette