The Ways of God
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Introduction
Introduction
Read Psalm 25:1-5.
Some time ago I was reading through Psalm 25, and I began meditating on the ways of God. I did a little bit of study and was surprised how often this theme is repeated in the Scriptures. In Psalm 25, David says to the Lord, “show me thy ways”
Do you want to know the ways of God? Today we’re going to discover what that means, and I trust it will whet your appetite to know your God better.
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The picture of a way
The words “way” or “ways” mean the same thing and are used in a variety of contexts in the Old Testament.
In the Bible, a “way” can be ...
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A path worn by constant walking. It can be a road, a highway, or a course of travel.
Ruth 1:7 (KJV 1900)
Wherefore [Naomi] went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
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A way can refer to a journey. It is used several times in Genesis chapter 24 when Abraham’s servant finds a wife for Isaac.
Genesis 24:21 (KJV 1900)
And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey [his way] prosperous or not.
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A way can be a direction of travel, with the idea of moving or looking toward something.
If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
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A way can be a manner, custom, course of life or course of action.
I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
A man’s heart deviseth his way: But the Lord directeth his steps.
As you can see, the word “way” is full of meaning. Knowing all of this will help us understand what David is saying in Psalm 25. Look at Psalm 25:4 again.
Read Psalm 25:4.
David was saying, “Lord, show me the path that you walk in and lead me down that path. I want to walk in the way that you have already gone. I want to walk on God’s highway! My eyes are directed towards you and I want to follow your direction. I want to know your manner, your custom, your pattern of life. I want the course of my life and the pattern of my behavior to follow the sure and safe path of Almighty God!”
Application: David’s prayer in Psalm 25 demands this question: are you consumed with knowing the ways of God? Or has your walk with God become a part-time hobby?
Has the cares of this life choked your thirst for God? Has the busyness of the American way of life crowded out any quiet time with Him? My prayer is that by the end of this message, you will have a renewed desire to intimately know the ways of our God - that you will be consumed with knowing His path, His journey, His direction and His manner of life, and that you will desire this for yourself.
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The character of God’s way
The Scriptures makes a clear distinction between God’s way and man’s way. They are two different things. The path that God walks and the course of action that He takes is often radically different from what man would devise. His way is especially different from the way of wickedness.
We are commanded to walk in God’s way, but God lays out for us a choice in His Word: will we follow His way or the way of the wicked? The choice is ours.
Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
In Psalm 25, David wanted to know God’s way. This was because David had chosen to follow God’s way:
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
As we consider the character of God’s way, I think you’ll see that His way truly is best.
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His ways are timeless - Proverbs 8:22-23.
In Proverbs chapter eight, the writer is portraying wisdom as a person. It is as though wisdom is speaking and telling her story to the reader and she says,
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Or ever the earth was.
Verse 22 refers to the beginning of God’s way. Before the earth was formed and before the work of creation began, God exercised His infinite wisdom in all that He did. He was working His plan and taking the very course of action that He intended to take. Before He created Time, God was not wandering aimlessly about wondering what to do next. He was precisely executing His sovereign plan! By the way, His plan included you!
We can be certain: God’s ways are timeless! The path that He has walked has been from eternity. If I might put it in our terms, He has far more life experience than we do!
Application: Since God’s ways are timeless, you can trust the One who inhabits eternity! You are safe in His arms!
Child of God, you cannot know what the future holds, but God does!
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His ways are beyond comprehension - Romans 11:33.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith 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.
I find such great comfort in knowing that I cannot fully understand my God! To know that His ways are incomprehensible is to know that He is greater than I! He has it all figured out! I must simply trust and obey!
You will not always understand God’s ways, but you don’t have to! Learn to delight in that reality! Learn to rest in the knowledge that you cannot fully grasp why He does what He does. While you see one small part of your pathway, God has already travelled it from start to finish.
If you could understand Him, He wouldn’t be infinite God anymore! He would be like you! And that would be both boring and disappointing!
Application: Some of you in this room are planners. You already have next week’s schedule planned out to the nth degree, but you know as well as I do that sometimes our plans go a little haywire. When that happens, rest knowing that the incomprehensible God has a plan that is far better than yours.
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His ways are judgment - Deut 32:4.
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
The word “judgment” means more than simply the act of judging. It refers to the entire scope and work of government - judicial, legislative, and executive.
God’s ways are always just, always right, and always in harmony with His perfect character! What He does, He always does fairly and without partiality. He is the perfect King who makes no mistakes in ruling His kingdom!
Application: If you are unfamiliar with the ways of God, understand this: our God is so high and lifted up that He has the authority and the ability to do whatever He pleases! He gets to decide the path that your life will go on. He has the right to determine the direction of your life-journey! But because He is sovereign, you can trust your way to Him! He’s so powerful that He will never let you down and He’s so wise in His governance that He makes no mistakes!
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His ways are just and true - Revelation 15:3.
We have a lot of people in high office whose character we question, but not so with God. He is the King of saints and all that He does is trustworthy!
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His ways are righteous - Psalm 145:17.
I referenced earlier the fact that there are certainly times in life where we cannot understand God’s ways. We look at what is happening in our lives and we can’t see the big picture. And sometimes, what we do see, doesn’t make much sense at all or it scares us half to death.
Application: But know this: when you are in that place of uncertainty, you can be certain of this: God’s ways are always righteous! He will never lead you astray! His paths are the paths of righteousness and there is no darkness in Him at all! You can count on it: His ways are righteous!
God’s conduct never contradicts His character. He always does exactly as He planned to do and exactly as His character allows.
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His way is perfect - 2 Samuel 22:1, 31-33/Psalm 18:30-32.
In developing these points, I felt that I saved the best for last.
After many years on the run, David received word that his enemies were dead and that he was released from the fear of being hunted day and night. He begins a song of praise in verse two, but look at verses 31-33.
verse 31 - As for God, His way is perfect
verse 33 - He makes your way perfect!
You cannot improve on it at all. You don’t need to lean to your own understanding! You can simply rest in His!
Application: If there is one keyword that summarizes this final point it would be the word “surrender.”
When you surrender your way to His way, He will make it perfect.
When you surrender your pathway, your life-journey, your direction, your course of life over to Him, He will work in your life to make it complete. Every piece will fit together in His plan. It may not always make sense to you, but you can rest knowing that He is making it a complete plan that fits together for His glory and for your good.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Maybe there is some aspect of your life that is not surrender to His way. I challenge you to surrender your life to the ways of God. Let’s have David’s heart when he wrote the words,
Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
Lord’s Supper:
Lord’s Supper:
Ask the men to come and have a seat at the front.
This evening we are going to celebrate Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We’re going to celebrate Him because He bore our sins on the cross of Calvary. We’re going to celebrate Him because He paid the full price for our sin.
If you have trusted in Christ alone for salvation, then you are welcome to participate in the Lord’s Supper. It has significance to you. If you have not trusted in Christ, then you are certainly welcome to watch and listen. This ordinance of the local church is a celebration and a remembrance of our Savior’s sacrifice of Himself for our sins.
Christian, during this time, take a moment to ensure that you are right with God and man. During this time, meditate on what your Savior did to bring you salvation. Think about His sacrifice and how He did it for you. Praise Him and thank Him as you talk with Him in your heart.
Pray and thank the Lord for giving His body and shedding His blood for us.
Serve the bread
Read Luke 22:19.
Partake
Serve the grape juice
Read Luke 22:20.
Partake.
Extra material to be added sometime for a mini series:
The blessings of God’s ways
His way strengthens the upright
Proverbs 10:29.
Knowing His ways aids our knowledge of Him
Exodus 33:13.
His mercy and truth towards the obedient
Psalm 25:10.
Keeping God’s way results in blessing
2 Chron 27:6.
Application: how we ought to live in light of this truth
Other references concerning God’s way
God commands us to walk in His way/ways
Exodus 32:8, Deut 5:33, 8:6, 10:12, 11:22, 19:9, 26:17, 28:9, 30:16, Josh 22:5.
We can turn from God’s way
Deut 9:16, 11:28, 13:5.
We can keep His ways
2 Sam 22:22/Psalm 18:21.
The wicked reject the ways of God
Job 21:14.
God wants us to turn from the wicked way
Ezekiel 33:11.
His ways can be known by men
Jeremiah 5:5.
His ways can be ignored by men
Jeremiah 5:4.
He is willing to show us His way
Jeremiah 42:3.
His ways reveal His glory
Psalm 138:5.
His ways are revealed by grace
Exodus 33:13.
His ways are taught through the Scriptures
Acts 18:26.
The Ways Of God - Psalm 25:4, Isaiah 55:8-9, 2 Samuel 22:31, define “ways” and “way”