Deep Thoughts
Psalm 92
As the light changed from red to green, to yellow, to red, to green, to yellow, to red, I sat and wondered, Is the world nothing but a lot of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seems that way.
(from Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey)
Sometimes we think we like to think "deep thoughts", and yet there are times we do really think deep thoughts. Those who pursue God and His Word indeed must be able to know the basic truths of Him, but the Lord wants us to think much deeper, to better know Him. But to know God, to think even deeper must be tempered knowing that it matters not the capacity for understanding a person has, that deep thoughts are not academic, not graded even. Are we expecting deep thoughts about God to be a course in theology? Some might say Richard, you have graduated technical college, attended many years at Bible college, nearly forty years of electronics and software troubleshooting. I can't match that in thinking. All those things that I have done require thinking, but they don't define anything close to the deep thoughts we should desire about the Lord. God created man. There is a wide range of thinking ability throughout mankind. Man has developed an IQ scale and most people are on the scale close to having an IQ of 100. But God makes Himself knowable to everyone on the complete range of people. And people on the upper end of that scale aren't the only people who can think deeply.
When my late wife was a college student she worked weekends with mentally challenged teen girls and older. She wanted them to know God, especially His way He made for everyone to be with Him someday. One young woman had asked her to explain how a person can come to God, to confess their sins, to accept God's forgiveness, just simply accept Him, and live with Him forever. My wife was more than happy to tell her, explain to her how God made a way for everyone including her to come to Him. After the first time carefully explaining the young lady didn't "get it", and so asked to have it all explained again. That my soon to be wife did again. This young lady asked her seven times to hear the gospel because she just didn't understand, just didn't "get it". In essence she was saying that her thinking ability wasn't that deep. That last time it was explained the Lord opened her understanding and she said, "I get it! I get it!" She trusted the Lord right then and there. Throughout the Scriptures much is said about our need of diligence. That in itself is a key to deep thinking, deep thoughts. This young lady thought deeply until she understood God and what He had for her. It wasn't just an exercise to repeat the words and ideas back, but diligence just to know God, deep thoughts.
O Lord, how glorious are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
An unwise man knoweth it not, and a fool doth not understand this,
Psalms 92:5-6 GNV
Just as my deep thoughts about God aren't your deep thoughts about God, and the deep thoughts others have of God among others isn't what really is of most importance here. Much more important is recognizing that the Lord has deep thoughts that far surpass any that anyone on the earth can have and many of those thoughts are of us. Take the time when the children of Israel were given to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, a place where they were to remain seventy years and they had just gotten there hundreds of miles away from even their homeland, confused and bewildered, and wondering will I ever see home again.
For I know the thoughts, that I have thought towards you, saith the Lord, even the thoughts of peace, and not of trouble, to give you an end, and your hope. Then shall you cry unto me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hear you, And ye shall seek me and find me, because ye shall seek me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places, whither I have cast you, saith the Lord, and will bring you again unto the place, whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 GNV
But not long before that Isaiah had warned the people of Israel...
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found: call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous his own imaginations, and return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him: and to our God, for he is very ready to forgive. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher then the earth, so are my ways higher then your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:6-9 GNV
Oh the height and depth of the deep thoughts, the non-understandable deep thoughts of the Lord toward us, toward you, toward me.
O Lord my God, thou hast made thy wonderful works so many, that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward us: I would declare, and speak of them, but they are more then I am able to express.
Psalms 40:5 GNV
Amen, and Amen.
Excellent thoughts from a very apropos beginning.
A Psalm or song for the Sabbath day.
It is a good thing to praise the Lord, and to sing unto thy Name, O most High,
Psalms 92:1 GNV
One reader commented about being "insufficient. My response is:
It is difficult when we think we are insufficient compared to someone else.
That is part of what I tried to express in this meditation. It isn't a competition. It is each one in their own ability not to copy me or the preacher, but rather God has given to each the ability they do have.
Consider two parables. When the sower sowed on the good soil some brought forth 30 times as much, some 60 times as much, and yet others 100 times. They didn't all grow the same.
And when the landowner left he gave one person 5 pieces of money, the second 2, and the last 1, each according to their own ability.
It doesn't say in the ten commandments do not to covet thy neighbor's skill and ability. No those things mention were valuable items almost any person might have. But Scripture does say that it isn't wise to compare ourselves with each other.
He has made you and I very different for His glory.
My wife was very challenged academically, but there were many things she did and could do that I have no idea how she did what she did. Even my kids wanted me to be more like her.