“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:9-10 AMP)
Our area of the world has received a lot of snow recently. Whether you describe this amount of snow as beautiful, overwhelming, average, insufficient, or bothersome, it still involves work to clear the roads and sidewalks for human transportation. And after 10 days of a minimum of 1-2″ of snow per day, accompanied by very cold temperatures, it is refreshing to see forecasts of above freezing weather in the next week.
One of the things I’ve noticed in the past week is how much of a black-and-white landscape we have when the sun is hidden. So many times this week I would look around and wonder if there was still color in the world.
I took this unaltered picture in our driveway. If you look very carefully, you may see a stray brown oak leaf or something else that suggests color, but, at least to my eyes, this landscape looks totally black and white. Here’s another unaltered photograph with a slight perspective change.
In the midst of the bleak black-and-white, the eye is drawn to the small yellow utility flag in the corner. Why? Because we like color. And because it breaks up the sameness of the black and white. What a difference a few steps can make in our perspective.
I messaged a spiritually mature friend this week to ask a hard question about God’s perspective. I was reading the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel in Genesis 29. It says that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, so God gave Leah – but not Rachel – children. [Jacob] loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. Now when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He made her able to bear children, but Rachel was barren. (Genesis 29:29-30 AMP)
This story, to me, struggles with God’s sovereignty, but seeming injustice. I know that the God who created the whole universe and is sovereign over all parts of it has the capacity to open or close wombs. But why is the loved woman made barren? How is that right? Fair? Appropriate? Yes, God seemed to have compassion on the unloved (or at least “lesser loved”) Leah, but then it seems he was cruel to the loved-but-barren Rachel. Why would a God of Love, who Jesus said loves children, cause a woman to be barren and then later allow her to die in childbirth?
You can remind me that we live in a fallen world, full of unfortunate stories, and that there are parts of life lived in relationship with God that are going to be mysteries. My wise friend reminded me of things I already knew – that God always has the big picture and we don’t. His thoughts are far above ours and he’s always right. God’s ways don’t always make sense to us, but by faith we have to trust that what God does is right. After all, we don’t have God’s perspective. In my driveway I could move only a few steps to find a spot of color in an otherwise bland and dreary colorless landscape. If I had God’s perspective I might be able to understand why God allows bad things to happen to good people, and good things to happen to bad people. Until Jesus’s return – which is sooner and sooner – there will hard stories for which the “reasons” may be unknowable.
Perhaps the words of Psalm 25, although written generations after Jacob and his family, can speak into this challenge to trust God when we can’t see things from his perspective.
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in You I [have unwavering] trust [and I rely on You with steadfast confidence],
Do not let me be ashamed or my hope in You be disappointed;
Let me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You [and only You] I wait [expectantly] all the day long.
Remember, O Lord, Your [tender] compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old.
Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.
All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and goodness and truth and faithfulness
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
Sovereign God,
To you, Lord, we lift up our souls, relying on you with unwavering trust and steadfast confidence. Thank you for the wonder and beauty of your Creation, and the mystery and beauty of your Word. Thank you that you continually call us to deeper faith and trust in you, especially when we are in times of struggle. Thank you that you always have the right perspective and may even share that with us. Help us to know your ways and to wait expectantly and patiently for you as you guide us and teach us. Remember your tender compassion and lovingkindness for the humble who seek justice. May we know your paths of hesed, goodness, truth and faithfulness, even when we can’t see the whole picture around us. When we struggle with doubt, discouragement, depression, or despair, reveal to us bright “colors” of hope, love, peace, and joy. We ask all this in the strong name of Jesus Christ our Lord, AMEN.