Isa 40.25-31

Psg: Isa 40.25-31 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Is40.25-31)
Date: 6/20/12

Read

40:25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”

says the Holy One.*

40:26 Look up at the sky!*

Who created all these heavenly lights?*

He is the one who leads out their ranks;*

he calls them all by name.

Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,

not one of them is missing.

40:27 Why do you say, Jacob,

Why do you say, Israel,

“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me,*

My God is not concerned with my vindication”?*

40:28 Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is an eternal God,

the creator of the whole earth.*

He does not get tired or weary;

there is no limit to his wisdom.*

40:29 He gives strength to those who are tired;

to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.

40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;

even strong young men clumsily stumble.*

40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help* find renewed strength;

they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings,*

they run without growing weary,

they walk without getting tired.

Record

Do you not know? Have you not heard? (28)

Reflect

• The psalmist knows (most likely) that the readers do in fact know and have in fact heard. But it’s their thoughts and reactions that make it appear as though they don’t know and haven’t heard.
• We already have heard and already know a majority of what we need to know about God, what he has done, and what he has promised to do. There is almost an infinite amount more to hear and know, but as far as living out the Christian life until we see Jesus, we know more than enough. Our problem is not a lack of information or a lack of knowledge.
• In what ways, though, do we live as if we have never heard? In what ways do we live as if we don’t know? In which areas of our lives could someone observe and be moved to ask, “Do you not know? Have you not heard?”
• In our self-examination of this, the goal is not to reach a level of sufficient guilt feelings, but to see areas where faith can grow in new ways.

Respond

• Search me, O God, and know my heart;
  Try me and know my idiotic thoughts;
  And see if there be any dunderhead way in me,
  And bop me over the head when needed.

• Do reveal to me ways that I think and act as though I have not heard or do not know.
• In every one of these ways, you are the Creator who put the stars in place and called them by name. You are the eternal God who gives strength and renews. You are more than adequate in every area where I act as though I’ve never heard, never learned about you.
• CR: Ask Lynne if she sees areas where she would have reason to ask these questions.