Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

January 16
Wednesday

UPSIDE DOWN

READ:
Isaiah 55:6-13
______________________
My thoughts are not
your thoughts, nor are
your ways My ways
__Isaiah 55:8
_______________________

There are a lot of things that
intrigue me about Jesus.
One of the aspects of His ministry that has
always produced jaw-dropping, head-
scratching responses is His upside-
down teaching about life.

As we journey through life, we may
get to the point where we think we've
got it figured out and our thought pat-
terns and responses for navigating
through life are deeply engrained. Yet
Jesus interrupts us in the midst of our
routines and calls us to a new and bet-
ter way. But beware! This encounter
with the ways of Jesus will be chal-
lenging.

Consider these paradoxical proposi-
tions: to live you must die (Mark 8:35);
to gain you must give (Matt. 19:21);
"blessed are those who mourn" (5:4); to rule you mus serve
(Luke 22:26); and suffering has purpose (5:10-11).

It is pronouncements like these that make people think
Christ is strangely out of touch. But we are the ones out of
touch. He is not upside down, we are! We're like children
who think they know better than their parents what is best.

No wonder God has told us, "My thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways My ways: (Isa. 55:8). So, rather
than relying on our mixed-up instincts, let's ask Him to help
us reflect His ways. __Joe Stowell

```````````````````````````````````What may seem upside down to us````````````````````````````````````````

`````````````````````````````````````````is right side up to God.````````````````````````````````````````````

TODAY'S BIBLE READING ____ Isaiah 55:6-13________________________

6 Seek the LORD while He
may be found, call upon
Him while He is near. 7 Let
the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his
thoughts; let him return to
the LORD, and He will have
mercy on him; and to our
God, for He will abundantly
pardon.

8 "For My thoughts are
not your thoughts, nor are
your ways My ways," says
the LORD. 9 "For as the
heavens are higher than the
earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, and
My thoughts than your
thoughts. 10 For as the rain
comes down, and the snow
from heaven, and do not
return there, but water the
earth, and make it bring
forth and bud, that it may
give seed to the sower and
bread to the eater, 11 so
shall My word be that goes
forth from My mouth; it
shall not return to Me void,
but it shall accomplish
what I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing for
which I sent it. 12 For you
shall go out with joy, and be
led out with peace; the
mountains and the hills shall
break forth into singing
before you, and all the trees
of the field shall clap their
hands. 13 Instead of the thorn
shall come up the cypress
tree, and instead of the brier
shall come up the myrtle
tree; and it shall be to the
LORD for a name, for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The opening portion of today's Bible reading (vv.6-8) offers three
tremendous statements about God's dealings with people. First, He is
near and waiting for us to call on Him (v.6). Second, there is mercy
for those who will turn to Him for pardon (v.7). Third, His ways of
accomplishing His purposes are beyond our grasp (v.8). These are
great reminders of our need to rest in Him and to trust His grace.