Today’s Reading: Isaiah 40
Not only was King Hezekiah’s life impacted by God’s willingness to move the sundial back ten steps, the prophet Isaiah witnessed God’s amazing power through this sign. If he didn’t fully know before, he definitely knew now — nothing was too difficult for God! In fact, Isaiah knew that God was too big for man to fully understand – too awesome for our human minds to fathom!
Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? – Isaiah 40:12-14
To whom can you compare God? – Isaiah 40:18a
“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. – Isaiah 40:25-26
I love this passage! We serve a God who is more incredible than we can even wrap our minds around! Think about it. Can we truly grasp how incredible our God is? Our human understanding causes us to compare God to what we know, but God is so much bigger than ANYTHING we know. So why do I question Him or struggle to trust Him? Why do I think I know better than He does of what I need or what should happen? Consider the lyrics of this song by Addison Road (addisonroad.com):
I guess I thought that I had figured You out / I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about / How You were mighty to save / Those were only empty words on a page / Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be / The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees / What do I know of You who spoke me into motion? / Where have I even stood but the shore along Your ocean? / Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? / What do I know? What do I know of Holy? [What Do I Know of Holy, Addison Road]
If we were to try to understand the ocean by merely standing on the beach, we would gain very little knowledge of the wonders of this great body of water. If we were to wade in as far as possible, our understanding would increase because we would be experiencing the power of the ocean, but we would still have so much to learn. To try to understand God requires DIVING DEEPER, GOING FARTHER, trusting with a much greater faith. Our God is SO big, so CAPABLE of handling anything we may be facing. Read these words of Isaiah as if they were written specifically to you.
O ________, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O________, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:27-31
God, we trust you this morning with every detail of our lives. Forgive us for the times when we have tried to fit you into a definition of who we believe you to be. Help us to grasp just how amazing you are. May our understanding of your wisdom give us the confidence to trust you even when we don’t get what we want. May our hope lie only in you, and may our faith continue to grow each day as we spend time in your word. Amen.