I wish I had pointed the words
out to you before we sang it, but go back and read it sometime.
That's a wonderful song. Turn with me now, if you would,
to Romans chapter 11. Romans chapter 11. And let's read from verse 33
to the end of the chapter. Romans 11, 33. Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are
His judgments and His ways past finding out. For who hath known
the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?
Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto
Him again? For of Him and through Him and
to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. I love that. I sincerely
love that. He said, oh, the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." The wisdom
and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out. Someone made the statement a
long time ago that if we knew what God knew, we wouldn't change anything. I've quoted that quite a bit
recently. If we knew what God knows, we
would not change anything. We would not change anything. In the flesh, we would change
everything. We would. We would literally
change everything. But if we knew what God knows,
we wouldn't change anything that has happened to us. Not one thing
that has happened to us. We wouldn't change anything that
has happened in this world. Not one thing. If we only knew what God knows, And what he has purposed in everything
that he's doing, we wouldn't change any of it. None of it. Verse 33 says, Oh, the depth
of the riches, both of the wisdom, the wisdom, the wisdom and the
knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out." The title of this message is,
His Ways Are Past Finding Out. They're past finding out for
everybody, for all of us. They are past finding out. The Lord's ways are not our ways. They are just not our ways. Twice
in the book of Proverbs, Solomon said, there is a way that seems
right to a man. It seems right to him. He's thought
about it. He's, he's pondered it. He's
made a decision on it. He's rationalized it and it seems
right to him. But Solomon said the end thereof
are the ways of death. And it's always the case. It's
always the case. We have ways. that seem right
to us, but they're not right. And I'm talking about myself.
I'm talking about myself. They're not right. Our ways are wrong. And only His ways are right. If our ways coincide with the
scripture, that's not our way, that's His way. I'm talking about
our way. It's wrong. And only his ways
are right. Our ways are evil. Only evil continually. It's all they can be. And his
ways are good. Only good continually. That's
all they can be. Our ways are fickle. They are
unreliable. They're unstable. You can't count
on them for anything. You cannot count on them for
anything. His ways are certain. I mean, they are ordered and
sure, certain, absolutely certain. Deuteronomy 32 says, all His
ways are judgment. a God of truth and without iniquity,
that means without sin, just and right is He. His ways are
judgment. His ways are judgment. Habakkuk
3 says, His ways are everlasting. There's a scripture, I believe
it's in the Proverbs, and it says, what God does is forever. God does it is forever. His ways
are everlasting. His ways are judgment. His ways
are everlasting. And our text right here says
His ways are past finding out. Even we try to understand what
our Lord is doing. but they're past finding out.
For a mortal man, a sinful man, it's just past finding out. Look
with me, if you would, at Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55, verse 6, it says, Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Call ye upon him while he is
near. Let the wicked, and who's that?
That's us. Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him. and to our God, for He will abundantly
pardon. 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." Man naturally
thinks that he's on par with God. He thinks that he has the
ability to negotiate with God. He thinks he's in a cooperation
with God, some type of partnership. But sinful man naturally doesn't
even understand God. He does not know God and he does
not understand God. Man naturally does not understand
God. You talk about the understatement
of a lifetime. Men and women by nature, because
of our nature, we cannot understand the ways of the Lord. We just can't turn with me to
Job 11. Job 11 verse 7 says, Canst thou by searching find
out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection, unto His fullness, the perfection and fullness of
God? Verse 8 says, It is as high as heaven. What canst thou do? Deeper than hell, what canst
thou know? The measure thereof is longer
than the earth and broader than the sea. How could a sinful mortal
man understand the perfect, holy, infinite God? He said it's higher
than the heaven. We can't even We can't even barely
get into just past the firmament of earth, much less the ends
of outer space, much less the third heaven. He said, what is
man gonna do? You're gonna go find out the
infinite God? What can man possibly do? Psalm
36 says, thy righteousness is like the great mountains, thy
judgments are a great deep. Too high and too deep for me.
Just too high and too deep for me. Never could we understand
the ways of the Lord. Never. But even though we don't
understand the ways themselves and we don't, I don't, I don't
understand why all the things happen in the world that happen
in the world. I do not understand. You know,
somebody says, well, explain this to me. I honestly can't.
I can't, I do not understand. But even though we don't understand
the ways themselves, God has revealed to his people the purpose
of his ways. Even though we don't understand
the ways themselves, they don't make sense to us. What is God
doing in this? Even though we don't understand
the ways, He has revealed to His people the purpose of His
ways. He has revealed the end of His
ways, the reason for His ways. And that's where our comfort
comes from in all of His ways and everything that we see happening.
That's where the comfort comes from. Even just in that, a believer,
when honestly a believer, when the Spirit enables that believer
to enter into God and enter into these things, even with just
that, a believer doesn't want to change it. And we know that's
so. A believer knows if God has done
it, I don't want to change it. I don't understand it, but I
don't want to change it. Go with me to Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, it
says, the secret things belong unto
the Lord our God. But those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the
words of this law. Even though we don't understand
the ways of the Lord, He has revealed to us the end of His
ways. And that's what I want us to
focus on for just a minute. We can rest and we can find comfort
in all of His ways. And it's because He has told
us what the end of those ways are. And if we can get a hold of that
end, if we can just honestly look to and see that end, we
will find some true comfort in all of his ways concerning us.
All of them. Now we are so quick to judge
believers in the scripture. I'm going to say that again.
We are all so quick to judge believers in the scripture. We do that because of how they
responded to the Lord's ways. It's recorded. The Lord did this. They did that. You know, it was
terrible on their part. And we think, what's wrong with
them? The children of Israel in the
wilderness. All they did was murmur and complain. You think
about all the things, God brought a pillar of fire, a cloud to
lead them by day, stay with them by night. He parted the sea. He had an infinite amount of
water gush out of a rock. He made bread rain from heaven. And they'd go one day and be
murmuring and complaining, God's gonna let us die out here. And
we think, what in the world is wrong with them? Why couldn't
they see and get it and understand what
is wrong with them? Do we realize that we literally
do the exact same thing? The exact same thing? The Lord
does wondrous things for us, and it's not 24 hours later.
We've forgotten it. You know, we have less of an
excuse than they did because we have the end of their story
recorded. They didn't have the end of their
story recorded. We can see how it turned out
for every one of them. I think all the time about the
apostles and the disciples who they were called of the Lord
to go preach Christ as the fulfillment of the old Testament. The Lord sent them out two by
two and they would go out and preach. And they had the Old
Testament. They had Genesis, which told
them about the woman's seed who was gonna have his heel bruised
in the process of crushing the serpent's head. All right? They
had Exodus, which told them about the Passover lamb. And God said,
there's not gonna be any deliverance until I see the blood of that
lamb. John the Baptist made it very
clear, Christ is the Lamb of God who has come to take away
our sins from us. They knew what had to happen
to the Lamb. The book of Numbers told them about the serpent on
the pole. Our Lord said to everybody, these things were not done in
a corner. He hid it from nobody. Scripture keeps saying His fame
went out. He said, as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must I, the son of man, be
lifted up. And if you look to me like they
look to that serpent, you'll live. Psalm 22, they had Psalm
22, it declared his very words from the cross, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Isaiah 53 declared the very events
of the cross. He would be taken from prison.
He would be judged. He would be killed. He would
make his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death. It
told us why that would happen. It was because it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. It pleased the Lord to lay the
sins of his people on him. It told what the end result of
that would be. God the father would be satisfied
and all of his people would be redeemed, spelled it all out. Not only that, the Lord told
them time and time again, we're not going to take the time, but
I could show you where the Lord told them over and over. I am
going to go to Jerusalem and I am going to die. and I'm going
to be buried, and I'm going to rise on the third day." Every time he told them that,
we can read it. Every time he told them that,
the scripture says they could not understand what he was saying.
How much plainer can it get? They just couldn't understand
what he was saying. They didn't know why he was saying that.
Every time he said it, they became so disheartened He got to the
point where they quit the ministry. They lost all their hope. They
lost all their faith. They lost all their confidence.
And when we look at them, we say, what in the world is wrong
with them? He plainly told them, he told
them how it was going to be and what the end would be. He plainly told them why these
things had to happen. Not only that they would happen,
but why they would happen. And they were plainly told what
God's dealings with them would be as a result of it. What in the world was wrong with
him? What in the world was wrong with him? Here's the response
we need to have. What in the world is wrong with
me? I probably ought to title this,
What in the World is Wrong with Me? What in the world is wrong with
me? We have been told the exact same thing that they were told. We have been told this. We have
been told Psalm 2510 says, All the paths of the Lord are mercy. and truth, all of them, to them
that are in His covenant. We have been told that all things, and after you
say those two words, you know what verse it is, we need to
pause, we need to take a minute and realize that that includes
all things. work together for good, work together for good, to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. All things, all things, all things. We have been told that if God
is for us, Nothing can be against us. Nothing. Nothing. Everything that God does to us,
and let me say this first, everything that happens to us, God is doing
it. And everything that God does
to us is for us. He that spared not his own son
the Son who daily makes intercession for us, nothing shall be able
to separate us from His goodness and His love to us, which is
found in the person of Christ Jesus our Lord." We have been
plainly told these things. May God cause us to see it. May
He cause us to believe it. May He cause us to trust in it
and rest in it. Rest in every one of His ways
concerning us because all of them are wise and perfect And
they're all for the purpose of bringing good to His people. It's His way of bringing good
to His people. I know that His ways are not
our ways. I know we cannot understand those ways. But all of His ways
are for the purpose of bringing good to His people. Look with me, if you would, at
1 Corinthians 2. The good that He brings is so
good. It is so very good. 1 Corinthians
2. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9. But as it is written, I hath
not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."
That means man cannot understand. just cannot understand. Man cannot
fathom what God has done and is doing for His people. Man
cannot fathom it. All of these things that are
happening to us here on this earth, all of them are bringing
us to this glorious end right here. All of His ways, all of
His purposes are for the purpose of bringing His people to this
glorious end right here. We can't see how it's taking
place. We just can't. But we're just
gonna have to believe by the faith of the Holy Spirit that
it's so. God says it's so, and we just have to believe it's
so. Verse nine says, as it is written, I hath not seen nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed
them to us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him?
Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. which things also we speak not
in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned." But he that is spiritual
judgeth, or that means discerneth, all things. Yet he himself is
discerned, or judged, of no man. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ." What that means is our God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the
sea and rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable minds of
never failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs and works
His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, and that's
what we are. Ye fearful saints, Fresh courage
take. The clouds you so much dread. Are you afraid of anything? Are
you afraid of anything around the corner? I am. I won't go
into telling you what they are, but I am. I got some things I'm
afraid of. They have not come to pass, but
I'm afraid they might. Because I know His ways are not
my ways. If I had my way, I wouldn't let them come to pass, but His
ways are not my ways. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage
take. The clouds you so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head."
If those things come to pass, it's going to bring good. I'm
worried about them, but if they happen, it will only bring good. They're big with mercy. and will
break in blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble
sense, but trust Him for His grace. Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour. The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief, and that's what
I do all the time, blind unbelief is sure to err and scan his work
in vain. God is his own interpreter and
he will make it plain. He will make it plain. Let's
just patiently wait and trust His wisdom, trust His knowledge,
and trust His unsearchable judgments. Oh, the wisdom. Oh, the knowledge. Oh, the unsearchable judgment. People ask all the time for all
different kinds of reasons. They ask all the times, all the
time, why did this happen? Why would this happen? Why would
something like that happen? It's for two reasons. Here's
the answer. I don't know. I don't understand
His ways. Why would that right there, I
do not know. I don't understand His ways,
but I understand the purpose of His ways. He has revealed
the end of His ways, the reason for His ways, and it's two reasons. Number one, the glory of God.
Why would that happen? The glory of God and the good of His people. The
glory of God and the good of His people. A moment ago we read,
of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things to whom be glory
forever. Every way and everything is to
the glory of God and it's for the good of His people. Now,
somebody sent me a scripture today just as a word of encouragement. Somebody just sent us, sent a
scripture and man, was it an encouragement? When I read it,
I thought that perfectly goes with the message tonight. So
I want to close this message by reading it to you. Go with
me to second Corinthians chapter one. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3, and see
if the Lord will let you enter into this. See if this is a blessing
to you. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 says,
blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in
any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of
God. For as the sufferings of Christ
abound in us, So our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted,
it's for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual
in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or whether
we be comforted, it's for your consolation and salvation. And
our hope of you is steadfast knowing that as you are partakers
of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation."
That's a comfort to me. That's a comfort to me. He said,
be patient and be hopeful in all the trying ways, all the
sufferings. Because our God in His wisdom
and in His infinite knowledge is using them to bring us to
our eternal consolation in Christ. He knows what He's doing. Maybe
I ought to title it that. He knows what He's doing. He
knows what He is doing. He knows exactly what He is doing. He knows what He's doing. To
Him be glory forever. Amen. All right, let's all stand
together.