His Ways Are Higher

God’s ways can be referred to as upside down, inside-out, or not our ways. When Jesus gathered with his disciples after his resurrection, their hope was for his Kingdom to be set up on earth (Acts 1:6). But this was never part of Jesus’s plan.

The Kingdom of God is not of this world as Jesus declared in John 18:36. It is one where you love and pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44); value others above self (Philippians 2:3-4); and count it all joy when enduring trials (James 1:2-4).

To love and pray for our enemies means we first have to accept that we have enemies. Whether it is rejection, gossip, or direct confrontation - this realization is definitely painful. The upside-down Kingdom of God gives us direction to not only love but also pray for our enemies. Valuing others above ourselves, means we think of their needs before our own. It can be difficult to prefer someone else’s desires to ourselves. However, this is the way of our amazing God and what his Kingdom asks of us. We all know trials. They can include the loss of a loved one, financial burdens, or relationship challenges. In the Lord’s Kingdom - we are to consider it pure joy when we face all kinds of trials. James 1:2-4 encourages us that as we do, our faith will produce perseverance, and as perseverance does its work, we may be mature and complete. Honestly, each of these, when attempted on our own, is impossible. Only with submission and surrender to Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in us, can we think and act as good citizens of his Kingdom.

We choose to live for Christ in his upside-down Kingdom for we want to know him better, love him more, and share him passionately. His thoughts and ways are not ours - they are higher, as our focus scripture states. Nevertheless, as we seek him daily in prayer and the study of his Word, we can gain insight and understanding to grow higher in his ways. We can find that God will order our steps as we follow what seems to be an inside-out blueprint. More importantly, it will be all for his glory.

Dear Jesus, thank you that your Kingdom is not of this world and, yet as we seek you we can know you, love you, and share you better than we imagined. I welcome you to order my steps as I choose to follow your inside-out blueprint for life with you, Jesus. I pray that you are glorified in my life. Amen.

Throughout this day: Spend quiet, intentional time in prayer and Bible study with Jesus. Allow him to give you wisdom about how he wants to make a difference in your life for his Kingdom. Enjoy worshiping our wonderful God with Michael W. Smith’s Open the Eyes of My Heart.