His ways are not our ways.

I've been meditating on how counter-intuitive this God of ours is.

“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 55:8-9 

The only way we can express His thoughts and His ways is in impossibly outlandish contradictions, such as:

"These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

Who on earth washes things in blood in order to make them white?

Yesterday, as I was in prayer, marveling on the wonder of how He pours out blessing and healing and relationship for those who pursue Him, eager to receive, yet another totally counter-intuitive characteristic of the Living God struck me:

Yahweh's warfare is not killing.

It's HEALING.

When our God goes out to win a conflict in our world, when He empowers His servants to do His work, He does not destroy. He heals. The Todd White video I shared yesterday illustrates that powerfully. So often, in our own wisdom, we look and see God destroying in order to benefit us . . . but that is not His warfare. That is His mercy, poured out toward us as we labor in sin, giving us opportunity to see His goodness and to turn to Him and offer up the praise and thanksgiving He merits. And when we allow Him, by surrendering to His will, in His way, destruction does not follow. He is permitted to SAVE.

That is His nature, His character. It is what He won on the cross, and what He died to win. The right to save, against all odds, against all physical evidence, against all of the cries of justice, if someone simply opens their heart and lets go of everything but Him.

Jesus SAVES.

It's Who He Is, and the very essence of His being.

He IS salvation.

Healing.

Revelation.

Grace.

Joy.

God's warfare is HEALING.

Lord Jesus, show Your people Your goodness! Let us see the Father Heart of our God, and let us trust You more. Let us have faith we can walk on, no matter WHERE You call us to go, or WHAT You call us to do. Let us know Your love, hear Your wisdom, and walk out Your call to each of us, in Your holy name, amen.