As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven…so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:9-11.

The above scripture was in the devotional Hearing God by Dallas Willard and it continued: “The word of God is characterized by overwhelming power, whether it is manifested in nature or in the incarnate Christ. Words of God are the expression of God’s thoughts, which are as high above mere human thoughts as the heavens are above the earth. The power of the word coming out of God’s mouth is like the powerful forces of nature — the rain and seed bringing forth plants, seed and bread to nourish the hungry (55:10). No wonder these words will accomplish what God desires! Meditate: Recall experiences of nature’s power: forceful winds blowing lawn furniture around, water cascading from a dam, thunder and lightning waking you up at night, even the heat of sunbeams melting objects on a windowsill. Ponder the terror and the grandness of this power. Then transfer that sense to the word of God going forth.”

And the amazing thing is that we are all welcome and loved by Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. And as we choose life lived with Him, everything changes. And in our chapter, Mark 3, can we begin to see how fighting against God blinds us? Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger, and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. v. 1-6. Can we see? To do good or to do evil…to save life or to kill. They were so blind they couldn’t see God bringing healing to bodies and to minds. The worst sort of slavery and blindness. Condensed in one paragraph, Mark describes the powerful work of Jesus and His time here spent healing many, driving out impure spirits, and teaching crowds of people who flocked to be near Him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, the Jordan region, and around Tyre and Sidon, v. 7-12. And then Mark lists the disciples chosen by Jesus. Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. v. 13-19. It’s difficult for us to imagine what it was like to have crowds of people following and trying to follow Jesus. They were hungry for healing and for hearing words that had never been spoken as Jesus spoke them. And in concern for Him, even His family tried to intervene when they thought the crowds were too much and preventing Him from eating, v. 20-21. They couldn’t see because they were seeing only with physical eyes viewing physical events with our limited physical mindset. The need was so great! And then – the spiritual blindness…And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them over to Him and began to speak to them in parables. “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” v. 22-30. They were saying God is an impure spirit. Creator God IS Holy Father, Son, Holy Spirit. They, in their willful blind ignorance, were blaspheming Creator God. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven…so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. That is Creator God. And when the crowds were hindering Jesus’ mother and brothers from reaching Him, He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.” v. 31-35. Can we grasp that? We who love God are His family dearly loved. We can choose to open our hearts to Him and His heart is wide open for us. He bore our sins on the cross. Can we try to grasp so great a Love? And then, hope upon hope, can we trust Him to teach us? His will is being accomplished. We just need to have eyes to see with hearts that are open. Once we see His love, how can we ever turn back? “He Himself bore our sins” (Isaiah 53:12) in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). For “you were like sheep going astray,” (Isaiah 53:6) but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24-25. And then our true journey begins with Him guiding us – first as we live in this broken world darkened by our sins He bore on the cross so we can be healed….and then for all eternity where sin will be no more. Praise Creator God from Whom all blessings flow! Help us to understand and in understanding, to follow You! In You is no darkness at all. With God we walk in the light of His love for all of us. In His love, we learn to love Him and one another. Can we see how His thoughts are higher than our thoughts?