Feb. 10, 2015: Isaiah 40:21-31

We encourage you to read this devotion three times a day.  Start in the morning and reflect upon the morning reflection question. Then in the afternoon, read it again and reflect using the noon question for reflection.  For the evening, take time to ponder how this has resonated with you in the day and reflecting using the evening question.  We offer a prayer with each devotion for you to pray or we invite you to pray what is in your heart.

Isaiah 40:21-31

²¹ Have you not known? Have you not heard?
   Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
²² It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
   and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
   and spreads them like a tent to live in;
²³ who brings princes to naught,
   and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

²⁴ Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
   scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
   and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

²⁵ To whom then will you compare me,
   or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high and see:
   Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
   calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
   mighty in power,
   not one is missing.

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
   and my right is disregarded by my God’?
²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹ He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless.
³⁰ Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted;
³¹ but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint.

Key Verses:  vv. 29-31

Reflection: 

The book of Isaiah, as we have it in the Bible, is three books in one.  Each written by different authors at different time in history.  This is not a new ideology but has gained general consensus among the scholarly community.  Isaiah can be divided thusly:  1)  Isaiah proper (Chapters 1-39), 2) DeuteroIsaiah (Chapters 40-55), and TritoIsaiah (Chapters 56-66).  Each division offers some distinct characteristics and theological goals.

            Isaiah 40 and following offer words of hope and reconciliation between the Isrealite people and God.  There are, contained within this section, famous pericopes which we read during advent about the Messiah and delightful passages about hope and perseverance as we have for us in the text today.

            We, as a people, are really bad at asking for help.  If we can make without help, no matter how much harder it may make it, we are darn well going to do it that way.  Our key verses offer us some humbling and hopeful words to God's people.  It is as though God is saying- "I understand."  "I understand when you get tired, when you grow weary, when you just can't make it on your own" and then says: "it is okay."  We have to remember that we serve a God who gets us through and through.  He is neither ashamed of us or stands in judgment waiting for us to make a mistake.  God is a loving parent who longs for us to succeed in life and in our faith.  God is a God who laughs with us when we laugh and cries with us when we cry.  Never forget that God gets you.  And most of all, try your hardest to not let your pride prevent you from asking for help when you need it.

Reflection Questions: 

Morning: When have you been at the end of your rope spiritually?  Who is someone in your life that you feel comfortable asking for help when you need it?- spend a moment thanking God for them

Noon:  When, in your morning, did you have the opportunity to help someone else?

Evening:  How might you work on keeping your pride in check?  How might you better make yourself available for others when they need help?

Prayer:  Cast away all of my pride.  Help me to realize that I need you and that I need others.  I confess that I sometimes forget this- forgive me of this.  Remind me when I need reminding and help me to be available to others when they need help.  Help me surrender my day to you.  I love you.  Thank you for loving me back.  Amen.