Today's passage proves the Bible truth that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, neither our ways His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). God's thoughts are always unimaginably loftier than ours. Unlike God, our thoughts are bound by our limited knowledge. Contrary to the Lord’s, our knowledge is easily corrupted through various influences. This is why scripture reading and preaching often conflicts with our natural thought process. For instance, our natural mind considers rebuke something harmful, negatively affecting the person receiving it. We also naturally consider flattery as something beneficial and uplifting to the recipient. Yet, we have already seen how flattery can be harmful, but have you ever considered the superiority of a rebuke? The Bible says rebuke is better because of what it yields “afterwards.” In the long run, rebuke is far superior to flattery.
Our love for the words of God seems directly proportional to our willingness to contend for the truth. Those who love the law of God do not praise the wicked but instead contend with them. Contending against those who oppose God will not always be easy and will sometimes develop fearfulness from within. Yet, a believer who loves the Lord and His word will not idly sit by in the presence of wickedness without proclaiming the righteousness of God. Unfortunately, Christians are becoming increasingly fearful of speaking up in morally corrupt societies. Sometimes believers have allowed and even facilitated the wicked to spew forth their vile agenda and thoughts. However, those who truly love the Lord should be like the prophet Jeremiah who could not keep silent as he sensed the words of God like a fire shut up in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9)..
