Isaiah 55:8-9 (English Standard Version)

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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.

As I pondered my thoughts and tried to make sense of it all, this was the Word of the day on my bible app. Oh how true that is right now.

My issue this morning is trying to understand how anyone could stop following Jesus.

John 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

The first thing that struck me was the irony of 666. So many people fear the number unjustly, but who am I to judge them? But I do and therein lies the problem. I allowed judgment to lead my thinking and that is where my conclusions will be drawn, not from God’s truth.

I tend to forget a lesson I learned a long time ago.

• John 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
• John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

The “He” who comes in John 16:8 is the Holy Spirit. Since I have no righteousness of my own, righteous judgment can only come from the Spirit of Truth and not from my own ponderings.

I can read the scriptures and try to understand what “after this” means in John 6:66.

John 6:65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

My first impression was that they realized they were not chosen. In this chapter Jesus had not spoken to them about the issue of being chosen. They would not know what that meant. But I do and I allowed my knowledge of being chosen to make decisions about others who had no understanding of what being chosen means.

We think we are so smart because we have all of God’s Word to understand in depth things that were not available to those who stopped following Jesus for their own reasons.

Why does that matter?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,