Following the message of comfort in the first verses of Isaiah 40, an anonymous voice calls out. The truth of the human condition is declared.
A voice says, “Cry out!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass;
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers; the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass. (Isaiah 40:6-7)
I still laugh at myself when I recall my 19-year-old self thinking about a 40-year-old co-worker. I marveled at how such an old man could be so strong. Forty seemed old at 19, but as a 76-year-old, it appears very young.
Life is transitory and fragile. That’s the message of the voice in Isaiah, but that is not the end of the story.
The grass withers; the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
In contrast to the transitory nature of creation, God’s word stands forever. We can understand God’s word as a reference to the Bible, but there is much more to the story than that.
God’s word refers to His purposes. God is active in history, and He is bringing His purposes to an end where His kingdom rules supreme.
No matter what happens in life, God is at work. The question is whether we understand what He is doing, so we can be aligned with His purposes.
There is no better way to join God in what He is doing than by learning how to live a life like Jesus. I can’t encourage you enough to spend time each day learning at the feet of Jesus. Please take time to read the Gospels and ask Jesus to reveal to you the attitudes and actions He wants you to embrace.
Who Are You Following?
Whose agenda for life are you following? It may be that you’ve never contemplated this question. In that case, you have unwittingly agreed to let someone else determine your future.
If you are determined to align your life with God’s purposes (i.e. His unfailing word), then the next verses reveal the character of the One whom you follow.
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms
and carry them in his bosom
and gently lead the mother sheep. (Isaiah 40:9-11)
God’s mighty arm refers to His power and might. The One who created the universe has all the power He needs to accomplish His plans for humanity. He is certainly more reliable than the transitory and fragile humans who claim power over our existence.
It is profoundly encouraging to know that God uses His mighty arm to hold us in His arms.
Children in the first century were largely overlooked and disregarded. Jesus was teaching adults one day and mothers brought their children to be blessed by Him. The disciples discouraged the women with stern words.
Jesus’ response to the disciples reveals how God’s mighty arm reaches out to those whom society pushes to the margins.
But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”
And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:14-16).
I doubt if the children and their mothers ever forgot the day when Jesus held them in His arms. More than likely, the disciples didn’t forget the lesson they learned about who is valuable in God’s kingdom.
Even though the disciples frequently misunderstood Jesus, they continually learned from Him. They were anchored to His word and sought to follow His guidance.
We will make many mistakes in our walk with the Lord, but we will be infinitely better off provided we follow His word instead of the transitory and fragile advice of the world’s system.
We will also be blessed to know that God holds us and everyone else who comes to Him in His arms.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 