[Discoveries] 07-31-08 God's fund of victory -- Isaiah 40:21-24 The Message

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

/*Have you not been paying attention?*/
/*Have you not been listening?*/
/*Haven't you heard these stories all your life?*/
/*Don't you understand the foundation of all things?*/
/*God sits high above the round ball of earth.*/
/*The people look like mere ants.*/
/*He stretches out the skies like a canvas --*/
/*yes, like a tent canvas to live under.*/
/*He ignores what all the princes say and do.*/
/*The rulers of the earth count for nothing.*/
/*Princes and rulers don't amount to much.*/
/*Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,*/
/*They shrivel when God blows on them.*/
/*Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind.*/
/*-- Isaiah 40:21-24 The Message*/

Any way you slice it, Isaiah 40 paints one of the grandest pictures of 
God in all the Bible. It has long been one of my favorite chapters.

The crazy thing is this: It was written by a man who lived through 
turbulent times. Here was a country 1/50th the size of the USA that 
endured a disaster 50 times bigger than 9-11. In Isaiah's time, there 
were days when you didn't know if you'd live to see tomorrow.

What I want to get at here is this: How can Isaiah say that the rulers 
and princes don't amount to much? After all, they made the poor 
decisions that resulted in tragedy for millions!

I think what Isaiah is saying is this: Every decision, every tragedy, 
every triumph -- everything -- it all plays into God's hands. This does 
not mean that God is remote, callous, or unfeeling. It just means that 
He cannot be overwhelmed by our sorrows. His fund of joy and peace, 
comfort and healing, justice and victory will not be exhausted by all 
our troubles.

Jesus put it this way: In the world you have trouble, but, hey, cheer 
up, I have overcome the world.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

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