Tuesday, March 5, 2024

GOD's quirky WAYS

 

Deuteronomy 29:29

King James Version

29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: 

but those things which are revealed 

belong unto us 

and to our children for ever, 

that we may do all the words of this law.


If you think you're going to laugh here, you're right.

If you think you've got GOD all "mapped" out, you're wrong.

GOD's got a lot of surprises, up His divine sleeve.

Do you know that He's quirky?

He makes learning about Him fun.

I fear the LORD, but I also delight in His ways.

He reveals His mysteries to the childlike heart.

He reveals His Word to the true born again.

He reveals His love to the cheerful ones.

He makes things known, through Scripture.

Oh, how His mysteries are made plain!

Through the embodiment of JESUS.


What is most delightful?

At least, to me, who loves His WORD?

He continues to confound men.

And that's when I laugh the hardest.

For GOD shows us a thing, or two.

Well, okay, at least seven instances here.

That we may understand His will, ways, and wisdom.

And yes, even His superb humor.

As these examples show.


GOD loves the few.

He chose Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:7

King James Version

7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, 

nor choose you, 

because ye were more in number than any people; 

for ye were the fewest of all people:


GOD loves the poor.

He chose Gideon.

Judges 6:14-16

King James Version

14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, 

Go in this thy might, 

and thou shalt save Israel 

from the hand of the Midianites: 

have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, 

Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? 

behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, 

and I am the least in my father's house.

16 And the Lord said unto him, 

Surely I will be with thee, 

and thou shalt smite the Midianites 

as one man.


GOD loves the forgotten.

He chose David.

1 Samuel 16:10-12

King James Version

10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons 

to pass before Samuel. 

And Samuel said unto Jesse, 

The Lord hath not chosen these.

11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, 

Are here all thy children? 

And he said, 

There remaineth yet the youngest, 

and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. 

And Samuel said unto Jesse, 

Send and fetch him: 

for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. 

Now he was ruddy, 

and withal of a beautiful countenance, 

and goodly to look to. 

And the Lord said, 

Arise, anoint him: 

for this is he.


GOD loves humility.

He sent JESUS, His Son.

Isaiah 53:2-4

King James Version

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, 

and as a root out of a dry ground: 

he hath no form nor comeliness; 

and when we shall see him, 

there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; 

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: 

and we hid as it were our faces from him; 

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, 

and carried our sorrows: 

yet we did esteem him stricken, 

smitten of God, and afflicted.


GOD loves children.

He chose Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:4-10

King James Version

4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; 

and before thou camest forth out of the womb 

I sanctified thee, 

and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! 

behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7 But the Lord said unto me, 

Say not, I am a child: 

for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, 

and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: 

for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, 

and touched my mouth. 

And the Lord said unto me, 

Behold, 

I have put my words in thy mouth.

10 See, I have this day set thee 

over the nations and over the kingdoms, 

to root out, 

and to pull down, 

and to destroy, 

and to throw down, 

to build, 

and to plant.


GOD even loves the reluctant prophet.

He chose Jonah:

Jonah 1:1-2

King James Version

1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah 

the son of Amittai, saying,

2 Arise, 

go to Nineveh, that great city, 

and cry against it; 

for their wickedness is come up before me.


GOD loves to frighten pretenders, too.

As in apostle Paul's story.

Acts 19:11-17

King James Version

11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick 

handkerchiefs or aprons, 

and the diseases departed from them,

and the evil spirits went out of them.

13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, 

exorcists, 

took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits 

the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, 

We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, 

a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, 

Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, 

and overcame them, and prevailed against them, 

so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks 

also dwelling at Ephesus; 

and fear fell on them all, 

and the name of the Lord Jesus 

was magnified.


All these you'll love about the LORD.

Who doesn't play favorites.

But gives each one of us a chance.

That we may redeem ourselves.

You really have no idea what you're missing.

When you haven't given your heart to GOD, in full.

No longer will you be a fool.


Don't you get it yet?

GOD wants to show us something.

It's all for His GLORY.

Like when He chose Israel.

Isaiah 43:21

King James Version

21 This people have I formed for myself; 

they shall shew forth my praise.


Through us -- the fewest, the poorest, the forgotten, the humblest, the children, the reluctant, the pretenders -- GOD is able to show His POWER.

Through the LEAST, GOD is able to make the GREATEST.

(And when man gets proud, the LORD does the reverse.)

Unbelievers have no idea GOD's POWER.

Matthew 19:26

King James Version

26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, 

With men this is impossible; 

but with God all things are possible.


Related material:

What CAUSED division

GOD's endearing ways

GOD's LOVE

GOD's WILL

GOD's WAYS

GOD's WISDOM

GOD's HUMOR

Paradoxes

EDUCATION from SPIRIT

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN classics


Image: Clipart Library


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