What Do I Know of Holy?

"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

"If you want to make God laugh, then tell Him your plans."

That's what they say, at least. (Ah, the infamous "they.")

But actually there's a ton of truth to that. Everyone has had at least six times in their lives where God's plan for them was something other than what they thought it would be or should be, where we've thought that our timetables for certain things were better than God's timetables. (And since God lives outside of time, how is it even fair that He gets to decide when things happen? Ugh!)

Ahhh...We think we're so smart sometimes, don't we?

We have minds, and we looove to use them. I'm the kind of person who in the middle of a conversation or in the middle of a task can find myself lost in my thoughts, taking a train to who knows where...all I know is that I have zoned the heck out. In my little day dreams I often find myself pondering the future, planning things out, figuring things out in my own little world. And this can get me into trouble when it comes to yielding my will to His.

God's plans aren't ours. His are higher.

On more than one occasion, through different circumstances, I've come to learn this firsthand. I've come to realize that nothing we do can make God's plans our plans, no matter how hard we try. I've wanted so badly for this sometimes that I have stayed up at night praying that He would fit His plans into mine, that His timing for things would sync up with mine. And I knew that this was wrong, that I selfishly was praying for my will instead of His - but, to be honest, I could not pray sincerely for His.

God's plans aren't ours. His are higher. But sometimes this can be hard - really hard - to grasp. And sometimes our circumstances can be so painful and troubling that we truly wonder whether God really does have our best intentions at heart.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV)


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)


Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23, NLT)

Things in my life aren't always going to be peachy keen. But I know that God, in His infinite wisdom, has a plan for my life that will prosper me, not harm me. That, in His love, He gives me a future - and that fact itself can give me hope. Because He does indeed have a plan for me. And God's plan isn't mine. His is higher.

Just last night (after I already had planned out today's blog entry, actually) Reuben Morgan, one of the worship leaders at Hillsong Church, tweeted this:

"God is not small enough to fit into our grandest plans>> we need to follow His."

And that brings us back to the words from Isaiah 55:8-9.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)

Our God is H U G E. And he's Holy. That's why He deserves our praise, worship, adoration - that's why it's so awesome that, even in His Glory, He desires and pursues a relationship with us. That's why God's plans (which aren't ours, by the way) are higher than ours ever could be.

And that's why, when I begin to doubt, when I begin to think that maybe my way sounds a little better than His...that maybe I've got everything figured out and He should just listen to me...

Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? (Romans 11:33-34)


...that's when it's important to take a step back,
to remember who I am,
to remember who He is,
(to remember that God's plans aren't mine - His are higher,)
to humble myself before the throne,
and ask...

What do I know of Holy?

Oh. Surprisingly little.