Parts of His Ways
by Ray Prinzing

"Lo, these are parts of His ways; but how little a portion is heard of Him."        (Job 26:14)

"Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living."                                        (Job 33:29-30)

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out."  (Romans 11:33).  The phrase "past finding out" comes from the Greek word meaning: not to be traced out.  We might well say that His ways are "unchartable," for you cannot trace them out and predict just what the next step will be.  He knows the way that we take, but to the mind of man it is a mystery and "Ye know not what shall be on the morrow."  (James 4:14). But we are coming to know HIM who is "The way, the Truth, and the Life."  (John 14:6).

God has apprehended a people to share His throne, and we set forth in obedience to follow as He leads, but this also means that we journey a way that is untraceable.  Many can share with us of their experience, but all of these things are only "parts of His ways."  One translation gives, "these are the edges of His ways." the depth is too profound for us to grasp, there are waters to swim in.  We are awed by what He is doing in His people.

Of one thing we are certain, "He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation."  (Psalm 107:7).  Whether it be the ways of separation and isolation as He hems us in to Himself, while He strips away all the props and resources of the flesh whereon we once learned; or, be it the workings of "weakness" so that we are pressured into the drawing all of our strength from Him - these are only parts of His ways.  Be it the matter of the silences of God, when we feel no inner quickenings, and have to stand upon the word; or, be it the times of refreshing which come from the presence of the Lord so that we are lifted up and soaring with the eagles - these are only parts of His ways.  Yet through it all, we learn to trust in Him, and know that "He doeth all things well."