We are very, very small, but God is very, very big – and he’s our God
Yes, I know that’s not the snappiest of titles, but it seemed to capture what I wanted to say – or, rather, what the prophet Isaiah wanted to say to the defeated, despondent and despairing exiles of Judah. To make matters worse, they were guilty; they were responsible for the sins that had led God to send them away. Was there any hope, any future at all, for them now? How could there be?
Have you found yourself in that position? Maybe you find yourself there now? It feels as if God doesn’t notice you any more, even that he has deliberately turned his back on you and isn’t listening. And you know he has good reasons to do so. What do we say then? Where do we turn? We turn where Isaiah turned the despairing exiles.
First, he reminds them: they have forgotten what their God is like: “Do you not know? Have you not heard?” And what is he like? “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” Well, that sounds pretty big. There are three things here: he is the eternal God, he is the creator God, and this magnificent God is our God, Yahweh, “The LORD.” So? “He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no-one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:29, NIV, my italics). Our strength will fail, if it hasn’t already. Our understanding is limited, very limited. But there is no limit to his strength or his understanding. And how will that help us? “He gives strength to the weary…” We are very, very small, but God is very, very big – and he’s our God.