The Lord's Mysterious Ways

I was talking to a friend yesterday about how the Lord works in mysterious ways, and during this conversation we were expressing our specific knowledge of his mysteriousness. Later I decided to look up the word mysterious, or its root word mystery because those who know me know how my thought process works, and once I have a thought, I have to dig deeper until I have my epiphany- So here goes, Webster has plenty of definitions for mystery, but the very first one is what jumped out at me: a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand.

Wow! Only by revelation!!! That really got my brain juices flowing! See, I am an avid mystery novel reader, I have loved sleuthing since I read my first Nancy Drew book, and normally I would figure out the "who done it" before I finished reading the book. However I have never and will never be able to figure out the Lord and his mysterious ways- why?? Well I am not supposed to, I couldn't even on my most genius day figure out the easiest mystery of the Lord. Isaiah 55:8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. He doesn't want me to know.If I knew then I wouldn't need to have faith in him.

The second definition of mysterious according to Webster is exciting wonder, curiosity, or surprise while baffling efforts to comprehend or identify. Which is exactly how the Lord wants us to be when he blesses us, or when we see the work of his mysterious ways. I mean think about it, how much glory would people give him if we could figure him out every his every angle, every move? It wouldn't be much fun to receive the mystery of his blessings!

When the Lord catches us off guard, he receives our true, most sincerest, most genuine praise. He normally catches us at our neediest, and the funny thing is, sometimes we don't even know we are needy, but he does and he delivers better than the USPS. The only thing we need to know is that he works, and that he is always on time which will forever be a mystery because again Isaiah 55:8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

I know we all know this but I just felt so encouraged to stop trying to figure things out and continue to relish the religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand and the exciting wonder, curiosity, or surprise while baffling efforts to comprehend or identify the Lord and his mysterious ways.