THE UNEXPECTEDNESS OF GOD

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

God will do what He wants to do and it’s not always going to be what you expected or how you expected it.

To walk faithfully with God, we cannot struggle with the truth that God does not work to man’s agenda. He does not change to fit our perception or expectations of Him. He calls man to follow His divine plan.

In following, we sometimes make the mistake of thinking that God must respond to our needs in a specific way, or that He will deal with a situation the same way he dealt with it the last time. Nothing will please man more than to be able to reduce God to a formula. The truth, however, is that there is an unexpectedness about God. He will answer our prayers and meets our needs in a variety of ways, and all according to His purpose.

Moses took the need of the people to God when they thirsted for water, and God told Him to “strike” the rock. To meet the same need on another occasion, however, and in a display of His unexpectedness, God instructed Moses to “speak” to the rock. But in complete disregard for the unexpectedness of God, Moses struck the rock. For this he incurred God’s displeasure and missed the chance to enter the Promised Land.

Apostle Paul prayed that God would take away a thorn in the flesh so that he could fulfil his ministry without hindrance. In a display of His unexpectedness, God answered the prayer not as Paul expected, but by giving him more grace by which he was able to fulfil his ministry despite the “thorn in the flesh”.

When John the Baptist found himself in prison, I am inclined to think that he had expected that Jesus would immediately turn all His attention to this predicament and work toward securing his release. When this did not happen, John sent his disciples to Jesus to enquire if He was the messiah or should they wait for another. John was not prepared for the unexpectedness of God. Like John, some of us may be tempted to get offended by the unexpectedness of God.

Some would presume to tell God how He should be God to the point redefining or perhaps reinventing God according to their own imaginations. But that would be an idol, not Jehovah. Jehovah is God! (1 Kings 8:60). We can know Him only as He reveals Himself and never as we choose to imagine Him. He will do what He plans to do not what man wants Him to do: “For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge…?” (1 Corinthians 2:16, AMP)

The unexpectedness of God is perfectly in harmony with the Godhood of God. He is God all by Himself. He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (ever-present) and exists independent of His creation. His purpose in all things and for all time is supreme; His word is final; His authority is limitless; and His power is complete! How, when, and why He acts upon the earth and among all His creation is in accord with His own purpose and for His glory. It is no surprise then that we frequently find His actions unexpected.

Elijah, the prophet, expected God to speak with a loud thundering voice. The wind passed, the earthquake passed and the fire passed but God was not present in these. These elements are normally associated with divine appearance, but God was not in any of them on this occasion.

“…and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:12–13, NKJV)

The unexpectedness of God! Elijah heard God in a "still small voice" and not in the familiar motifs of divine presence.

God is God. We can only comprehend Him by reflecting only on that which He has revealed of Himself in the Holy Scriptures. He cautions us not to reduce Him to our imaginations and independent opinion of Him and His acts. The unexpectedness of God means that He is capable of moving in ways we can never begin to imagine.

Nothing is impossible with Him, and in His Godhood, He declares, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways.” Our knowledge is limited. We only know in part and will always be amazed at the manifestation of God’s wisdom and power as His plans and purpose unfolds.

What are we to do? We must resist the temptation to limit God to what we can conceive and the urge to become offended with God because things have not gone the way we expected. We have to learn to trust that the God we serve knows all and sees all, and we follow Him believing that in everything He will work things out according to His purpose and for our ultimate good: “…as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV)

In that which we deem the unexpectedness of God we see a display of God’s superior knowledge, His providence and predestination; a demonstration of His unlimited power in His mighty acts; and the manifestation of His glory in the plan of salvation and redemptive history.

God's ways are not our ways! Even in His unexpectedness, Jehovah is God. The God who answers by fire is equally as powerful when He speaks in a “still small voice”.

God bless you!