“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).”
I always thought that was such a beautiful passage. Poetic, inspiring, majestic. It was so nice to know God surpassed me by that much. It was great . . . until the day I disagreed with Him. I didn’t do it on purpose. It started with another verse.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).” I read that verse for years. I talked about it. I even memorized it.
Then I went to Haiti and met a blind man named Jeff (See Being Sure of What We Hope For). I started asking questions. What if I relied on God for my needs the same way Jeff has to rely on those around him for his needs? What if I stopped insisting on sight before I moved? Could I live in a way that proved the Word of God true? No, really. Could I today in 2011 make choices based on utter dependence on God and not looking to man for help at all? I knew they’d help me if I asked them to. But I didn’t want to see man move on my behalf. I wanted to see God Almighty move on my behalf.
I wanted to know what it really means to walk by faith and not by sight. Funny thing is, in order to live like that, you have to take away sight. You have to get rid of all the other alternatives and second options and plan B’s that we Americans are so good at making. You have to get to a point where you’ve got nothing but Jesus.
So, I did.
I packed my suitcase after 4 ½ months of no paycheck and drove to Georgia to begin six weeks on the road. Six weeks of living by faith and not by sight. It was great. God provided gas money and food (chocolate included); He gave me a place to sleep every night and kept the air in all my tires. He was taking really good care of me. But I knew He’d do that already. I wanted more. There are two kids in Africa I’ve been sponsoring through World Vision and the African Children’s Choir. Dorcas and Pascal. Two kids who don’t eat every day. Two kids with holes in their shoes. Two kids whose parents can’t send them to school. I asked God to take care of them.
I wanted a record of His faithfulness. I wanted my life to be an experiment in faith.
Would you like to know what God did?
Nothing. He did absolutely nothing. I asked Him to help, and He didn’t do it. I had to cancel my sponsorship. Yeah, it was kind of a let-down to me too. Sorry. I’m just telling how it went.
I wasn’t quite sure what God meant by it. In fact, I still don’t know. But I’ve given up on the goal I had. God made me. My thoughts disagreed with His, and somehow His are still way higher. I guess that means it’s now up to someone else. Dorcas and Pascal no longer have support. And they’re not the only ones. If I can’t sponsor them from the road, maybe someone will who’s still at home. Maybe that someone is you.
World Vision: Sponsor A Child
African Children’s Choir: Sponsor A Child
Homeless missionary on the road who hasn’t learned to read the mind of God:
