When I first was living in Malaysia, I was on a tourist visa, while I waited for my work visa to be processed. Being on a tourist visa meant every three months I had to leave the country and then come back in for another three month chop on my passport.

To some this would be an inconvenience, but for me it gave me the opportunity to see other countries in Southeast Asia. One of those countries I visited was Thailand. While in Thailand, I took a tuk tuk (Thai Taxi) to the night market. While there I found a t-shirt that said, Same Same But Different.

Being one who has been to many cities around the world, having met many people from many nations, I can say, people and cities are truly same same but different. We have many similiarities as humans, but we are also different. So this statement has stuck with me for years.

Reading Isaiah 52 this morning reminded me of this t-shirt I found in Thailand, because Israel was in Babylonian captivity, same same as Egyptian, but different in God’s way of deliverance.

“Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the LORD’s house. But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 52:11-12).

As we walk with God, through various seasons of our soul and life on earth, there will be situations that look similar, or same same, but God has a different way of deliverance depending on the captivity we are in.

One of the subtle challenges we face as people is we like to follow patterns, especially if they are successful. But we serve a creative God, who operates in now time. Even though it may look like same same, listen closely to God’s instructions because He is usually doing something different. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org