Thought for Today
Genesis 1:19 I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
Psalm 18:30 This God-- his way is perfect; the promise of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
Luke 3:4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Acts 18:25 He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.
“Finding a way when there appears to be none seems to be God’s specialty.” (These Days, March 16, 2026)
When I read or hear that word ‘specialty,’ I usually think about doctors or scientists. In a very real sense, we live in a world of specialization. In the field of medicine, general practitioners or family doctors seem to be in short supply. But, there seems to be a plethora of specialists. The very nature of modern science encourages specialization. Trying to span the scope of multiple scientific fields, e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, and geology among others, seems daunting to say the least. Even within each of those fields there are subspecialties. I was initially trained as a mechanical engineer. That sub-specialization of engineering can be divided into ‘hard’ (machines, gears, etc.) mechanics and soft (fluid flow, heat transfer, etc.) mechanics.
As we think about our modern world, there are wheels within wheels within wheels. The breadth and width of our scientific knowledge seems to demand specialization to an extreme degree. Yet, many of us have heard the term ‘Renaissance man.’ “The term Renaissance man or polymath is used for a very clever man who is good at many different things. It is named after the Renaissance period of history (from the 14th century to the 16th or 17th century in Europe). Two of the best-known people from this time were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. (simple.wikipedia.org)
Christians understand God to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. We see God as the Creator of Creation. As I read that line in These Days this morning, I could not help but think about God as a specialist in everything. God is more than a Renaissance man or a polymath. The creator of creation is, by definition, the creator of everything and therefore is more than “good at many different things.” God created all of those ‘things.’
I am not God. No man is God. As created beings, we cannot hope to fully understand “the way of the LORD.” The very phrase itself is quantum levels beyond our ‘paygrade.’ And to think or speak of God’s finding a way “when there appears to be none,” loses sight of the fact that God is the way.
It is not necessary for me to always be able to find a way. God does not ask me to fully understand everything about everything, The Old Testament prophets understood that God’s demands on God’s creatures are limited. God chose Abraham so that he, his children, his household and his descendants would “keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice.” The prophet Micah summed it all up for us, “6:6 ‘With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ 8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
God is not a specialist in finding a way when there appears to be none. God is the way. And, the way of the Lord is in doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God. The way of the Lord is not some sacrificial system attempting to appease an angry god. The way of the Lord is not some secret formula to solve all problems. Although, I suspect that doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God will solve all the problems which seem to surround us. What would our world be like were we all to become specialists in justice, kindness and humility?
Stay safe, stay of the path of the Way of the Lord, trust God,
Pastor Ray