Isaiah 40.1-17
Isaiah wrote that Judah would be judged for their sinfulness and negligence to follow the word of the Lord; they would be humbled, taken into captivity, and removed from the land given by God. Though these times would be devastating and they would lose all they had, they still had hope. The Lord would not forget them; they would not be cast off forever; someday they would be wonderfully redeemed. Through their coming misery, they could trust the Lord and His Word; in the midst of severe destruction and a daunting future, they could know that God’s Word would not fail. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40.7-8). The people were likened to the grass of the field. People are born and die; life is but for a period of time. The lifespan of the earth’s inhabitants has no bearing on the eternality of God and His Word; people do not determine the length of God’s days, the value of His Word, or the influence of His actions. God does. Though the Israelites were judged and all of life changed, God does not; His Word remains constant.
May we recognize in these fleeting days of our lives, in the frailty of our existence, in the uncertainty of time on this earth that we are but people. We are in great need; we are fully dependent on the sustaining grace of our God; we are incapable of planning our days or determining our future. We may face great devastating moments, days, or years; all we know may be lost; all earthly securities and hopes may quickly fade; all which is familiar may be suddenly gone; all our comforts and securities may vanish. But even if all this is true, our hope lies in our God who will not change, who will not falter, and who will not fail. His Word will stand, His Word is eternal, His Word is trustworthy, and His Word will ever be our defining hope.
Trusting in God’s Eternal Word – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry
My Morning Desk 