“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither 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 than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV
Everlasting life, joy and strength … just a few of the things God promises to us in exchange for our sin, sorrow and weakness. Usually when an exchange takes place between two people, it’s considered a fair trade agreed upon by both parties such as you help me move, I’ll buy the pizza or you make dinner, I’ll clean the kitchen kind of thing. So, what did we ever do to deserve the good gifts He gives us in exchange for our “junk”? It certainly doesn’t seem fair, does it? I think we are so conditioned to the idea of ‘fair trade’, that it can sometimes make it difficult for us to accept or understand God’s promises at face value. We tend to believe we must be good enough, give enough or do enough in order to be worthy of the gifts He’s promised.
Well, the good news is, God knew what He was doing when He decided to make the trade. He knew we would never have enough to give and could never be good enough to deserve, yet He was willing to trade anyway. He trades our life of sin and defeat for righteousness and victory. He takes our sadness and sorrow and promises to lift our head and give us joy. He takes our worst weaknesses and says His strength is made perfect in those situations. It just doesn’t add up. But then again, His mathematical system is beyond anything we could ever understand. After all, he fed 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish.
What do you have to trade with Him today? I know the value of what we have to give compared to what He gives in return doesn’t make any sense, but He works on a heavenly mathematical scale and is willing to make the trade because the greatest value to Him is seeing us accept and walk in all that He has to offer.
Scriptures
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Isaiah 61:3 (NKJ) – To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called tress of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Prayer:
Lord, in my humanness, I will never be able to understand your mathematical system. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to hand over my “stuff” that is of no value, in exchange for Your eternal gifts that are priceless. But every day I am learning that the trade is worth it to You because You find value in me.
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