My wife recently shared this thought with our family. And I am pretty sure I know the man she had in mind when she shared it. For going on a week and a half, now, I have been struggling with a cold. And when I say struggling, I mean struggling! When I get a cold, I don’t do it halfheartedly—I tend to go the whole way—body aches, sore throat, stuffy nose, cough and a head that feels like it is submerged in deep waters. And yes, a woman in labor can almost imagine what I feel like when I have a cold!
OK, so maybe “us guys” can exaggerate a teensy, weensy bit when we are sick. However, I do know that when you are at the rock bottom of a sickness, there are times when you really start to pray, “Jesus, please come now!” But it isn’t just sickness, this feeling is also inspired, at times, by broken relationships, pressure at work, significant losses, you name it. It’s amazing how quickly we are moved to the point of despair. And, even if we don’t voice it, we sometimes wonder, “Does God know what I’m going through?!?” A good thing to remember, however, is that this feeling is not new. Truth be known, you can find this same sentiment in a number of places in the Old Testament. Just a once-through of the Psalms is enough to let you know that you are not alone in this. However, there are few passages where this issue is addressed in a more powerful and poignant manner than in Isaiah 40. I love Isaiah 40. The chapter is so rich. It is rich not only because of the way it pierces some of the deepest concerns of the human heart, but because of the variety of moving messages found within. From tender comfort (“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem”), to Messianic hope (“In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God”). From the mortality of man (“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field”), to the eternality of God’s Word (“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever”). From God’s loving care (“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart”), to His incomparable power (“‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One”). However, beyond the shadow of a doubt, it is the conclusion of this magnificent chapter which I find the most moving, especially in times of trouble: Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. Isaiah 40:27–28 I resonate all too well with Israel. How quick I am to complain. How easily I wonder whether God really knows what I’m going through. Maybe He’s too busy. Does He really see? Because, if so, would He allow this to continue? But He answers my questions with a question, “Do you not know?” This is a great example of a statement in the form of a question. He isn’t really asking a question. He is making a point. I should know. From years of personal experience of watching Him faithfully lead me through deep waters, I shouldn’t doubt for a minute that He knows and that He cares. But even greater than personal experience, I have the testimony of His Word and generations upon generations of men and women who tried Him and found Him faithful. Jesus doesn’t promise to preserve us from hard times, but to preserve us in hard times. And it is this very promise we find in the conclusion of Isaiah 40: He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29–31 There it is. There is the promise once again. We may grow weary, but God does not. He’s not snoozing on the job. He understands. He knows. And if we will place our trust in Him, we will find Him faithful. We will find that He renews our strength. He will make us soar, run and teach us how we can walk on. I don’t know what you are going through right now. It may be that you are in deep waters. Or it could just be the usual stresses of living in a fallen world. Trust in Him, for He is trustworthy. Walk in Him, and He will renew your strength.
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
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