“To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? To one bereft of an offering who chooses wood that will not rot, who seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.
“To whom will you compare Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and why do you assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my claim is ignored by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never grows faint or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
These verses are the second half of the 40th chapter of Isaiah. This chapter contains one of the most magnificent descriptions of God ever written and is worthy of further study.
1. There cannot be an idol of God because God stands beyond history, beyond creation and beyond anything that man can imagine. No matter how huge an idol might be, even if it is pure gold with silver chains or a cunningly carved block of precious wood, that idol is still merely the creation of humans.
2. God is far above all earthly beings. “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”
3. It is God who controls all the rulers of the earth. “He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.” During the Roman Empire, when conquering rulers were parading through the streets of Rome, there was always a member of the Praetorian Guard who walked close to the ruler to whisper, “Remember, Caesar, thou too art mortal.” Proverbs 27:23 – 24 says, “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.”
4. God is Creator. ““To whom will you compare Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”
5. God knows exactly what is going on with us at every minute; God gives us power and God strengthens us for whatever He calls us to do. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never grows faint or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
APPLICATION: Sooner or later, all of us find ourselves stuck in situations that seem endless without any escape. As I am writing this, I have friends who have been caught in problems not of their own making. Each time our friends solve one problem, another one immediately crops up. It’s reminiscent of the Hydra, a mythological beast that was a gigantic water-snake-like monster with nine heads, one of which was immortal…Anyone who attempted to behead the Hydra found that as soon as one head was cut off, two more heads would emerge from the fresh wound. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Countless people have found comfort and strength in Isaiah 40:31. God is not promising that all our problems will magically disappear or that everything will work out the way we hope. But God is promising that those who trust in Him will be given supernatural strength, even in situations that would exhaust strong young men. Through God, we can survive any tragedy, any suffering if we will put our faith in Him.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to put our trust in You, even when things look bleak, knowing that You will give us the strength to endure and to persevere. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment