Desire the New: God’s Ways

I wrote in Desire the New: Ask! how God will give us the desires of our heart if they are in his will. I would like to add that sometimes what we desire is not always what he desires. Also, Sometimes we don’t understand or desire the particular steps we have to take to get to our destination, or to receive our desires. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). As Romans 8:33 says, How great are God’s riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge! Who can explain his decisions? Who can understand his ways? God knows everything, therefore God knows what we do not understand. He sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). In other words, he sees the big picture. We cannot get stuck in our ways as God works out the intricate details of our journey. We do not understand the Lord’s ways. 

One example in the Bible of someone who didn’t understand the Lord’s ways is Naaman. Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria. He was important to the king of Syria because through Naaman the Lord gave victory to Syria. Naaman was a “mighty man of valor,” and sadly he also suffered with leprosy. His wife’s servant girl told his wife that if Naaman could see the Sumerian prophet Elisha he could be healed. So Naaman told his master what the servant girl said and in result the King of Syria sent Naaman with silver, gold, and clothing to give to the king of Israel so that he might be healed. The king of Israel was not so pleased with the pressure placed upon him and feared tension between the two kingdoms would arise from the issue. Elisha heard that the king of Israel tore his clothes out of frustration, so Elisha told the king to not worry and to send Naaman to him. You can read the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 in the Bible. 

So Naaman went to Elisha’s house to seek healing. While he was at Elisha’s door, rather than Elisha coming outside to speak to Naaman, he had a messenger instruct Naaman to wash in the Jordan river seven times so that he may be healed. You would think Naaman would just go take a dip in the river unreluctantly but that’s not the way it happened. Naaman became furious because he did not understand why Elisha didn’t heal him a certain way. In his frustration Naaman said to himself, “He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” Then he went on to say “Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?” Naaman saw with his natural eyes and did not understand God’s ways. He didn’t know that God moves when we obey His instructions or in other words when we follow His ways. Naaman’s servants urged him to obey the instructions by telling him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?

I am sure this story can relate to most of us at one point in our lives. God may instruct us to do something so simple, that we may mistakenly believe it is insignificant. Sometimes it is more difficult to obey easy or simple instructions because we fear they are of no importance, or because we don’t give the instructions much thought. The instructions may not be the way we think they should be. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). I wrote in Step Into the New how God instructs his prophets to do things that seemed foolish to others, but in Naaman’s case, it seems like the instructions were mostly foolish to himself. The instructions were not his way. Our ways are logical and natural. God’s ways are spiritual and supernatural. In the natural I may seem like a fool, probably mostly to myself I hope, for sharing karaoke songs I sing, but in the supernatural I am a fool for God. 

When I shared the karaoke song How Great Thou Art, I thought, really God? Are you really putting it on my heart to share songs from a karaoke app? I know you want me to sing for you someday but these songs don’t exactly fit my voice. That is why I had to choose something more traditional. I wish I could have made it more my style. I would have liked to speed the song up a little and add some base, drums, and possibly electric guitar. My voice is kind of slow and low and most of the other songs on the app are fast, upbeat, and high. My voice was not in it’s prime at the time I recorded that song so I thought I could just practice and do better when I feel better but then I lost my voice the next day. I am just now getting it back. I felt an urge to share the song when I did. My karaoke song was not like a song of my own that is more professional, just as Naaman’s Jordan river was not a cleaner river of Damascus. 

I have been sitting on this post for a few weeks now because I knew I had to wait until after I shared the song for my last blog post. I knew this post was going to relate to the song in some way so I waited until now. I like how things unfold with God. His timing and his ways are always perfect. I did not feel at peace to share this post until after I posted that song. Speaking of peace, I felt like God gave me a peace about sharing the song right when I shared it. I was very anxious about it the day before then that night I felt like God was telling me he was giving me his peace and I felt a peace about it. Also I believe he was telling me that after I shared the song I would feel this same peace. If that was God he was right. I felt peace after sharing the song. I didn’t have a care about what anyone thought about it.

I don’t understand exactly why God had me share the song but it may be so that I can get over the fear of what people think. It may be to force me to try to improve my voice, because I know God wants me to sing in the future. I am a perfectionist so maybe God wants me to be less of one. Even thought I don’t know exactly why God would want me to share karaoke songs, I am going to trust Him without knowing or understanding the details. As Proverbs 16:9 says A man’s heart plans his way, but the lord directs his steps. We have to let God be God. He is on control if we let him be. I am going to share a new song for the next blog post. I am thinking of either Amazing grace, Amazing love, Set a fire, or Jesus lover of my soul, but not sure. 

As I mentioned I cannot really find a song that fits my voice right. If I had a band to help me I would make the songs a little more modern but I don’t have a band to help out or a choice. If I had a band to work with I would also sing the songs I wrote because they would be even more fitting for my voice. Anyway it may be a few weeks before I post a new song. I really hope God is wanting me to do this but if not He will still turn it around for my good. We cannot fear failure because if we do we would never step out in faith. God says he works all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). God knows I love him. I am really trying to obey the Lord so if I feel like he wants me to do something I am going to do it. I didn’t know why I was starting this blog but I am glad I did. I love the sense of community and support offered through WordPress. I am also learning more about the Bible and the things of God by writing posts and by reading other people’s blog posts and comments. Thank you to all who have commented on my posts and to all who write blog posts for the glory of God. 

Naaman could have got stuck in his ways but instead he washed in the Jordan river and got healed. Naaman trusted in the Lord even though he did not understand. As Proverbs 3 verse 5 tells us we need to trust in the Lord with all our heart even when we don’t understand. We cannot always understand what God does, so we need to just obey. Naaman got healed because he did as God instructed him to do even though he didn’t understand why he had to get healed that way. He actually complained. Even though I complained about the songs, I am going to sing them. Even though Naaman complained he obeyed and he became healed and turned his life over to God. I obeyed the Lord and I will continue to. I hope that you do too. In a way we will be healed because some of us are sick of hope deferred. But I think most of God’s people are making progress and as we obey the Lord’s instructions we will be healed as we step into the promises and desires of our heart.