[Difference Makers ls] God of the Universe and Little Ol’ Me Sample
Lord, Where Are You?
Isaiah 40 looks at the future. It is a prophetic statement that the Lord gives to Israel and Judah through Isaiah. The Lord is like a quarterback, throwing out a long pass, and the people of God, the receiver, will run underneath it and catch it. The Lord warns His people that they will go through a time of exile. All through chapters 1 to 39 of Isaiah they have been hearing about judgment and the coming exile. One day, after the exile, many years ahead, they are going to wonder, “God, have You left us? God, are You still here with us?”
Have you ever gone through anything so bad that you wondered where God was? Do you ever look around and see others all happy, with things going great, while you are going through grief, and ask, “Lord, where are You?” Everyone’s business is going awesome, and yours is going in the tank; “Lord, where are You?” That is where Israel and Judah will be. Through Isaiah, the Lord is throwing a pass to them, so each can know, “Okay, You are with me.” The Lord wants them to know: “I am there with you. Even if you do not notice, even if it does not seem like it, I am there with you.”
One commentator wrote, “Circumstances are those nasty little things that you see when you get your eyes off God.” Now, are problems really problems? Yes, and problems need to be solved, and we need to be problem-solvers in our lives. Problems are no fun to go through. Yet we can trust that God is above our circumstances.
In times of trouble, some think, “Well, Satan and God are equals. Satan is the bad part, and God is the good part.” But Satan is not a rival to God. He is a created being; God is the Creator of the universe. Satan may bruise Jesus’ heel, but Jesus will crush his head. God and Satan are not equal. God is unrivaled. There is no one like Him. He is above our problems. He is higher and bigger than they are, and He knows the future.
When I face trouble, am I jealous and full of self-pity? Am I defeated by my circumstances or by Satan? Or, do I trust God is with me and has my future in His hands?
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About this Plan
Through Isaiah, God gave a message of hope that the people of Judah and Israel would need after their time in exile. Emphasizing God’s greatness, and contrasting it to human frailty, Matte highlights how we should trust God, gain perspective on our troubles, approach leadership, and consider the universe. With a two-tiered look at God’s transcendence and His intimacy, this plan will encourage you in your spiritual growth.
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