“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

Why is it that God seems so small or distant at times? Is it perhaps because we ignore God’s divinity in our effort to make God more human or relatable? Or even worse, when we put God in the box that most fits our ideologies or plans, we unwittingly limit God’s sovereignty. In a sense, we want to control the narrative of God rather than allow God to be the author of creation and our lives. It is a struggle for all of us at times… if we’re honest. 

Isaiah 40-42 focuses on combatting that narrative. SO, I think it would be fair to say that the Israelites living during Isaiah’s time were struggling too. Right away he points out that the things of this world, like the flowers, will fade away. But God stands forever! Read that again… the word of our God stands forever. God is BIG! He held the oceans in his hand… measured off the heavens with his fingers. “To whom can you compare God?” (Isaiah 40:18) To no one and nothing.  

In Isaiah 41 we read that God is God over your enemies too. What about all of those things that seek to beat you down and tear at your worth? God is not ignoring them, nor is he ignoring your struggle with them, whether those enemies are people, or habits, or choices, or whatever they might be. God wants you to know that he is aware and with you! God is not too small to handle them. 

In Isaiah 42 we see a song of praise to God. And guess what, God is worthy of our praise! There is another tendency to only go to God when we need something. That is another reduction. When good things happen, we need to acknowledge that God is present in the celebrations too! 

The bottom line? Let’s get back to allowing God to be bigger than our current picture of him.

Questions for reflection:  

  1. Where do you find yourself most often reducing or forgetting about God? 
  2. Challenge – Take 5 minutes outside today just listening to God’s creation in motion. Think about how amazing God is and that he created all this! 
  3. Close in prayer thanking God for all he has done.