Ways and Means

Isaiah 55: 8-9 KJV – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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."
     As a child growing up in First Baptist Church of Gary, IN, I recall attending the annual church meeting with my mom and dad. Of course when I was younger it was just another opportunity to play and hang out with my friends in the Fellowship Hall; while the parents read reports, gathered data and organized the events for the upcoming year. As a child the significance of the planning and reporting done by all of the church auxiliaries, committees and subcommittees was in itself a challenge. One of the main groups that operated in the church was the ‘Ways and Means Committee’. As all the other church sub-units reported their needs; it was the responsibility of the Ways and Means Committee to find a way to make things happen and then to locate the financial resources needed.
     As I grew older and more involved in church activities, I realized how all the planning from the previous annual church meeting was cornerstone to having the resources needed to complete certain tasks. Now as an adult I constantly see examples in which God reveals how his thoughts, planning and the execution of his ultimate designs really are far above what we can imagine.
     God is revealing step-by-step that not only is he the Sovereign GOD of the universe, but that he is compassionate and loving and hears us when we cry out to him. God has lots of plans of wonderful things in store for us (if we faint not). When we were ‘young’ in the fellowship; things may have gone completely over our heads. Like me and my friends at those early church meetings, we knew there was something important to be said, but we were too busy grabbing all the gusto of life to pay attention to the details. As we grow and mature in Christ we too will see that God is the “Ways and Means” committee for all that we do.
     As I often say… “if you cannot see God’s hand..trust his heart”. Our loving God is industrious and creative, always working on something; therefore when our prayers seem on the surface to go unanswered remember some things are so out of our league that God can’t even afford to have us in on the ground level because we might interfere with what he has planned. So we just need to trust him and wait until he is ready to reveal to us what “ways and means” he has developed. His ways are so far above ours and aren’t you glad that every now and then he touches us with a quick glimpse into the most simplistic part of his thought and it is mind-shattering revelation to us. So if you are waiting on a miracle, tarrying for an answer or just basking in the glow of God’s love - wait for him to tell you ‘his way’ and then he will give you ‘the means”.
     Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day! Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn