What is meant by God’s ways being higher than man’s?
Question:
It says in Isaiah 55:9, "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." I don't completely understand.
Answer:
You will run across people with all sorts of excuses as to why they are convinced God would never forgive someone like them:
- I've already sinned, so it is too late.
- I did it on purpose, so God will always hold that against me.
- I've sinned so many times that God must be tired of me by now.
- I've sinned so badly that God must be disgusted with my life.
Isaiah tells us what God thinks about a person's sins:
"Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 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. "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"" (Isaiah 55:6-9).
The flaw in all the excuses is that people are thinking that God is just like them. They won't up with such behavior, so they conclude that God would not put up with it from them. The mistake is to assume that God thinks like a man. God knows what He is doing. He knows better than man what He is offering. But then, God is vastly superior to man.
God isn't just waiting for a person to mess up so badly, so He can pounce on him. He wants people saved from the mess that they make of their lives. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9).
Hence, before it is too late -- before death takes away your opportunity to choose -- it is time to turn to God and God will abundantly pardon all sins.
