God’s Thoughts and My Thoughts

God’s Way of Offering, Man’s Way of Offering _Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain, the older brother, farmed the land, and Abel, the younger, raised sheep. Each of them brought an offering to God from what they had produced. Cain offered crops, and Abel offered a lamb from his flock. But, God accepted Abel and his offering, while He did not accept Cain and his offering.

This event teaches us about the truth of the new covenant, through which sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ. Adam had passed down the truth that God had taught him. Yet, Cain followed his own thoughts and offered what he believed was right. Abel obeyed God’s will and offered a lamb, shedding its blood, which symbolized the blood of Christ. Because Abel followed God’s way, his offering was recognized as better than Cain’s. (Heb 11:4).

Genesis 4:2–7

The Path Led by God, and the Path Israel Expected _Israelites

After being freed from Egypt, the Israelites set out for Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. The journey from Egypt to Canaan could have taken as little as ten days on foot. Yet instead of leading them along the shortest route, God guided them on a much longer path.

God had a reason for this. The direct road passed through the land of the Philistines, where strong armies were ready for battle. The Israelites had lived as slaves in Egypt for about 400 years. If they had suddenly faced war, which is something they had never experienced, they might have been overcome with fear and returned to Egypt. Additionally, if they had entered Canaan easily and quickly enjoyed a life of comfort and abundance, they might have forgotten God. So God led them through the wilderness for forty years. In that barren land, they experienced His power, protection, and guidance. Through the hardships of the desert, He was preparing them to receive blessings.

Yet the Israelites failed to understand God’s heart. They focused only on the dryness and the long road before them. They complained and grumbled—and many perished there.

Exodus 13:17–22; Deuteronomy 8:11–18

Unclean to Man, but Clean to God _Peter

One day, Peter had a vision. He saw something like a large sheet coming down from heaven. Inside were all kinds of animals. Then he heard a voice say,

“Peter, kill and eat.”

According to the Old Testament law, Jews could eat only certain clean animals. All others were considered unclean, so eating them was unthinkable.

“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

But the voice answered:

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

This happened three times, and the sheet was taken back to heaven.

While Peter was wondering what the vision meant, messengers arrived at the house. They had been sent by Cornelius, a Roman centurion who feared God, to invite Peter to his home. At that time, because Gentiles ate foods considered unclean under the law, Jews regarded them as impure and kept their distance. When Peter came to understand that the vision revealed the gospel was not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles, he went to Cornelius’s house, preached about Christ, and baptized those who believed.

Acts 10

Even if my thoughts seem right and my way appears better,
if they are different from God’s thoughts, I must let go of my own.
God’s thoughts are deeper, wider, and higher than anything we could ever measure.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8–9