GOD’S HOW IS NOT OUR HOW

“Then Mary said to the angel, “HOW can this be, since I do not know a man?” – Luke 1: 34

God’s Ways are not our ways – GOD’S HOW IS NOT OUR HOW: “Then Mary said to the angel, “HOW can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Lk.1:34). In those days when a woman had been betrothed and was about to get married, culturally everybody knew who her husband would be and plans will be underway to get married in a short while. In the case of Mary, God sent an angel to tell her: “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS” (Lk.1: 31b). It was easy for her to have figured out how: relay the experience to Joseph and urge him to speed up the wedding plans or move the date closer since God had already given her the name of the baby.

That’s the logical way to go: Just get married and have the child. But not Mary; she said “How can this be?” She perceived that simply doing what any other woman will do may not be how God wanted to bring about the Messiah. It was not sufficient that God had given a Word. His HOW is often different from the How we assume. God says, “This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours!” (Isa.55: 8, The Living Bible).

God revealed His How to Mary: “And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible” (vv.35-37). Let’s recall our key verse in yesterday’s Capsule: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Lk.18:27b). God’s Ways always transcend Man’s ways!  

God had assured Abraham that he would have a child, but Sarah came up with a carnal option: “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai” (Gen.16:2). In other words, Sarah said: “God has said you will have a child so let’s figure out the how. After all God can use anybody! So take my house-girl, after all she belongs to me, any child she gives birth to is mine”. Though Abraham did not resist, that was not what God had in mind. They were jumping ahead of God. There are many examples in Scripture of the huge difference between Man’s how and God’s how.

David knew that God is constant in principles but unpredictable in strategies; hence he frequently sought the Lord’s counsel and direction at every step. Whenever David faced a trial he always asked to know God’s Will and Way. And each time he inquired, the Lord graciously gave him a clear, definite answer (1Sam.23:1-5, 12-14; 30: 8-9; 2Sam. 2:1-2). In 2 Samuel 5: 22-25, the circumstances were the same as in verses 17-21. David could have attacked the enemy just as he did before. Yet God’s fresh answer was the opposite of the previous one. Before it was, “Go up.” Now, God said, “You shall not go up.” Everything may seem identical to natural eyes, but God’s strategy must be sought each time, or victory is not insured.

The Lord God cannot be restricted to our limited ways. When God has told us WHAT, we need to find out HOW from Him. To KNOW God’s Will is only a step to UNDERSTANDING His Will: “Therefore do not be unwise, but UNDERSTAND what the will of the Lord is” (Eph.5:17). God can choose to go with the how we’ve figured out but He usually never works like that. We should cultivate the habit of enquiring of Him at every step!