Tuesday, December 8, 2009
I find myself eager to read the first part of chapter 40 (1-11). It reveals my kind of God - a God of comfort and compassion (for the times I screw up), a God of promise (for the times I feel insecure), a God of power and strength (for the times I feel discouraged). Curiously I find myself suddenly bored with the passage after verse 12. I know what's coming, after having read it several times now. I can summarize it with a phrase: "God always wins." Maybe that sounds cynical to you (and it is) but I was surprised to read that exact sentiment expressed in verse 27 when Isaiah calls out the complaint of the people: "We think God's forgotten about us." I guess it's a fairly typical response to getting to know God. When he's there for us we are pleased. When it appears that he hasn't done anything for us lately, we easily turn sour with the complaint, "No fair, God, you always win." And I can imagine his response with a twinge of frustration, "You're right, I always win because it's my game." (vs. 28). And then I think Isaiah is right - we start to turn sour because we're recognizing our own weakness, "but those who trust the Lord will find new strength (vs.31)." Good thing it's God's game or I would be forever the loser.
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For me... I love the last two verses. They take on a deaper meaning with my Dad having MS. My dad is weak. He can't walk (much of the time). He is weary. Very visibly what Isaiah describes of all of us in verses 29 - 30. And yet God is not! And when we hope in Him, we too will have strength. We (and my dad) will soar on wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not be faint. The image of my dad running is almost too much for me to imagine. So to think that this is a picture of our weekness and God's strength, is incredibly visual... I can see the magnitude of this promise every day as I help to care for my dad. Thanks Nathan for challenging us.
ReplyDeleteTanya Kieneker
Maybe it's the difference in personalities, Nathan, but my response to verse 27 is quite different. I have always been glad to know that God wins, but I also can identify with "Jacob" & "Israel" because I sometimes think that he has forgotten about me and my problems. Yes, he does great things for other people, and I am glad for that, but he doesn't always come through for me; at least not when & how I want.
ReplyDeleteSo, it is very encouraging to read verse 28-31, which so powerfully declares that, indeed, God is here that I can count on his power and wisdom and that he will help me to "run and now grow weary."
Bob
I can understand where you sentiments are coming from, Nathan, but I don't find that I experience the same feeling about the latter part of the chapter, I find it awe inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking a lot about the word "comfort" lately. It is used two times in a row at the beginning of the chapter, I think to emphasize its importance . The current meaning of comfort is "to console", an older definition is "to strengthen greatly". To me, the word evokes all kinds of feelings which I continue to mull over. And if we use the later definition, it ties in very nicely with the conclusion of the chapter.
Sharon
Sometimes I think we make God so small when we concentrate on "I" and what He can do for us when we screw up or when we are insecure and discouraged. I have felt all three of those things lately and many times in the past and what it has done is cause me to make God too little, which ends up not helping me one bit.
ReplyDeleteMy life and circumstances have been teaching me daily that God is bigger than I could ever conceive and therein lies the real comfort and the real help. I love the words of verses 12 to 24. His power is awe inspiring and those verses only talk about His control of creation. It really doesn't say a whole lot about His mind and that's the part that I grapple with. I am constantly asking Him, " What are you thinking Lord? What do you have in mind?" I don't get it and I probably never will but that's the cool part. I don't have to.
I just have to rest on the promise that when I don't know, He knows. That's why He asks, "Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'?" We don't even always have the smarts to complain directly to Him and yet He knows. He knows every thought in our little minds and He owns it and steps beyond it to places we cannot even fathom so He can make it possible for us to run and walk and not grow weary. I don't know about you but I'm counting on this God to do that for me because I'll never get there on my own.
Winnie
I have been learning so much these past couple weeks as i sit at home. This passage fits perfectly.
ReplyDeleteGod wants us to lean on Him. He wants us to know He is both compassionate and all poweful. This passage indeed shows that He is more than capable. What can we control? What do we have power over? When we don't see God, is it really because He isn't there? Or because we are so blinded by our selfishness we can't see Him?
If we learn to let go, God will give us strength and help us soar to blessings we can't even imagine.
It's God's way, that's the most exciting thing I've heard today!
Karen
I love v 12-26 because it takes us beyond the hopelessness and helplessness that we sometimes experience in our lives. Here is the God who created the universe - who actively upholds it - who wants to be in community with us forever. The first time that I read this chapter last week, I thought of the parallel to Job 40 and 41, where God reminds Job of who is in charge.
ReplyDeleteThis not so gentle reminder gave me incredible comfort during the years that our son was ill and dying. The religious cliches weren't cutting it for me at this time - there didn't seem to be any love, or fairness, or justice here - and yet there was all of this in the context of the bigger picture. It also gave us hope that the peace that our son experienced during his life was not something that we instilled in him - it was not dependent on us - it was given to him by His heavenly father who "gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart" v 11.
John Paul
Reflecting on this passage reminds me that I must have respect for all of God's people, whether they are my neighbours, the homeless fellow asking for money at the street corner, the poor in Honduras, or Africa....we don't know who is going to be part of God's kingdom - in fact, some of these will be our friends forever!
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 40 is about God looking forward to us living with him forever in community. Our earthly lives are like grass v6 - it is so temporary. God will "give strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak" v20. Some of this may be now, but much of this is in the context of God's forever kingdom. This chapter gives me an attitude check because our sometimes seemingly privileged position (physical and mental health, food, freedom, choices) is so temporary, and is so little of our own doing. In the context of God's forever kingdom, how should I then live today?
John Paul