“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)
When bad things happen to good people, it can shake their faith. In difficult times, many ask questions like, “What am I doing wrong, God?” or “What’s wrong with me?”
You may have heard people quote Isaiah 55:8–9 in these situations. When you were struggling with loss, sickness or tragedy, someone might have told you that it was all part of God’s plan and that you can’t understand it because his ways are higher than ours. They assume he must have reasons we can’t understand.
I don’t buy it. There are too many other verses in the Bible that say all of God’s plans for us are good. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God’s plans are “to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). And Jesus said that he came that we could “have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV).
In fact, Isaiah 55:8–9 is one of the most misused passages in the Bible. You have to read the entire chapter to get its full meaning. Isaiah 55 is all about God’s promise of salvation for mankind. God’s plan to bring us back into relationship with him through Jesus is so incredibly awesome that people struggle to understand it. In that way, regarding his GOODNESS, mercy, promises, grace, acceptance, joy and peace toward those of us who believe, God’s ways are so much higher and greater than we’ll ever understand!