Isaiah 40-41
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? GOD doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. – Isaiah 40:28 MSG
Ultimately, the entire Bible is a book about God. It is not a collection of stories or moral lessons. It is not the road map for life. It is not a blue print for living. It is the revelation of God about … God. From cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation, it reveals the character and the nature of God. The stories it tells, the histories it reveals, the characters it introduces, are all there for one purpose and one purpose only… to give us a greater understanding of who God is and what man's relationship with Him should be. His very creation shouts out His glory and claims His very existence. The wonders of the natural world give evidence of the creator. The universe is proof of His power and reveals the immensity of His essence. And in the middle of Isaiah's prophetic words to the people of Judah warning them of God's coming judgment, he reminds them of God's future deliverance. And it is a primer on the very character of God. Through the lips of Isaiah, God teaches them about His nature. He instructs them about His unequaled, incomparable character.
God is eternal – "The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever." – Isaiah 40:8 NLT
God is powerful – "Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm." – Isaiah 40:10 NLT
God is loving – "He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." – Isaiah 40:11 NLT
God is without equal – "Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?" – Isaiah 40:12 NLT
God is all-knowing – "Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?" – Isaiah 40:13 NLT
God is incomparable – "To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him?" – Isaiah 40:18 NLT
God is transcendent – "God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them." – Isaiah 40:22 NLT
God is judge – "He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing." – Isaiah 40:23 NLT
God is creator – "Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name." – Isaiah 40:26 NLT
God is sustainer – "Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing." – Isaiah 40:26 NLT
God is all-seeing – "O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?" – Isaiah 40:27 NLT
God is tireless – "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary." – Isaiah 40:28 NLT
God is generous – "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless." – Isaiah 40:29 NLT
God is merciful and kind – "Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion." – Isaiah 40:30 NLT
God is a restorer – "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." – Isaiah 40:31 NLT
God is faithful – "I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away." – Isaiah 41:9 NLT
God is trustworthy – "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." – Isaiah 41:10 NLT
God is our helper – "For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.'" – Isaiah 41:12 NLT
God is our redeemer – "Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel." – Isaiah 41:14 NLT
God is our provider – "When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them." – Isaiah 41:17 NLT
God is our rescuer – "I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground." – Isaiah 41:18 NLT
What an amazing God we have! He is incomparable and at times, incomprehensible. He is beyond our understanding, but never out of the reach of our voices. He hears us, sees us, listens to us, cares for us and wants to have a relationship with us. Amazing isn't it?
Father, Your character and nature is so huge, it takes an entire book to even begin to touch the surface. You are complex and yet knowable. You are beyond the grasp of our finite understandings, and yet You make yourself known to us. May we never tire of looking for You in Your Word and seeing You in Your creation. Give us a growing understanding of just who You are. May we increase daily in our knowledge and appreciation of You. Amen