Isaiah 40:24 “Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely
has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them,
and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble.”
There is a song from my childhood entitled, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, that says, “And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” I was reminded of this line as I read a blog post yesterday. In the post Amy talked about the proper perspective her friend (who passed away) had about life; basically that it was valuable and fleeting. And maybe life on earth is valuable, in part, because it is fleeting and temporary.
What really matters? This is the question that Isaiah 40:24 seems to asks me. Our time is valuable and fleeting, and He is in charge of it all. How many times do I get hung up on the circumstances of life and forget who is in charge, over all circumstances?
Pastor Dan gave a great sermon the other day on Mark 4:35-41. He talked about Jesus sleeping in the midst of the storm; probably not unaware of it, yet at peace, knowing Who holds all the waters in the hollow of His hands. The disciples were afraid. They woke up Jesus and He rebuked the winds and waves saying (in verse 39), “Quiet! Be Still!” Pastor Dan pointed out that, after Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples were more terrified than before, because the One who could calm the seas, and make the winds and the waves obey, was in their midst.
One of my favorite hymns is Be Still My Soul, and some of my favorite lines from it are, “Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake to guide the future, as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.”
Don’t we so easily forget? That He is in the boat with us, and is aware of the storm, but not afraid of it. What comfort His presence should bring. I am not trying to minimize our pain or be apathetic to our suffering, but we must remember that He is more than able to calm our hearts- even if our circumstances don’t change, or if they do; He is still in charge and His children are also in His charge.
I hope that it brings comfort to us that we do not have to be in charge. May we get to know Him better all the time; knowing that He is completely trustworthy. Our Creator. The One who knows the beginning, the middle, and the end. He cares so deeply about you; He wove you together in your mother’s womb and here He stands today. Will you follow or flee?
Deep Breaths:
1. Memorize Isaiah 40:24
2. What storms are your currently facing in your life (discouragement, division, depression, departures, disease, death)? Read Mark 4:35-41 and allow the One who is over the storms to wash His Word over your heart and calm the waves within.
3. Read Isaiah 55:6-7 from The Message and then do what it says- in worship to the One who can still our stirring soul.