God lasts!
There are a whole lot of things which come and go in this life, aren't there? We have clothes in our closets, which by today's "fads" are outdated and just totally behind the times. We have shoes, well-worn and comfortable, but definitely yesterday's fashion statement. Car manufacturers change some features on our favorite cars each year, not because they have to, but they know they won't sell new ones if the old was all they promoted. Nothing seems to last like it once did. My mother is used to buying products "back in the day" when the parts were guaranteed for years and years. Now, if we find something with a six or twelve month guarantee, we think this is a good deal! Isn't it good to know in the constant "changeableness" of our world there is one thing which remains constant?
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. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:28-31 MSG)
God lasts. Think on that one for just a moment. There are a whole lot of pulls on our heart to attach ourselves to something or someone who really cannot live up to the consistency, continuity, and completeness of our God. None will outlast him - not even the pink Energizer Bunny! Look at what is said - he doesn't come and go. If we have ever felt like he has, it is more likely we have left the place of attentiveness toward him rather than the other way around!
What can you imagine in your mind? He is bigger, more powerful, more awesome than even your wildest imagination. I have a pretty active imagination - something I think he blessed me with. I can dream big and think "outside the box", but even the biggest of my dreams has some limits - they may just not be the immediate wall of the "box"!
Some things I'd like us to see about the "bigness" of our God:
* There is no moment in time when he is inattentive to our needs. We need time to catch our breath, because we tire and become worn down by what life brings. God is constantly creating and holding together everything - no moment in time is without his attentive watchfulness. Did you ever stop to consider what would happen if God just let his mind wander a little? If you read our passage in the context of the entire chapter, you will find things like God stretching the skies out like canvas, measuring its expanse between his thumb and forefinger. You find analogies such as God measuring out the weight of each mountain and hill, marching each star out into the night sky, calling each one by their name. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is without his attentive care - including each one of us!
* The creator knows his creation. I once had a car which gave me a whole lot of problems. It was a gift to me, not costing me a dime to acquire it, so I nursed that thing along, recovered its seats, scrubbed away the oxidization from its weathered paint job, and generally got to know it very well. I took apart its inner workings, scrubbing, lubricating, resealing, etc. There were trips to the junk yard to procure replacements for worn out parts. Yep, I knew it well. Yet, I did not really know it as the creator of this little car did. Someone more "in tune" with the inner workings and the symbiotic relationship of the parts "knew" this little car even better. God knows us as the Creator - knowing perfectly well the symbiotic relationship of our parts. No hair is uncounted, no twitch of a muscle is without a purpose. In knowing the symbiotic relationship of the individual "parts" of our lives, doesn't it make sense he'd also know how to best keep these "parts" in the right relationship? What we fail to see is how he is always guiding the "parts" to work as a whole - body, spirit, mind - all in symbiotic relationship. Any part which seeks to operate outside of this relationship, he directs attention toward. Don't resist the attentive focus of the creator - he is really just trying to put things back into the place of symbiosis!
* There is power in his name. I think this is what is reflected in him giving energies to the tired, strength to the weak. We have seen the evolution of "fuel" foods like "Power Bars" to "energize" those who need to remain physically active and attentive, but who cannot stop for long to take in a meal. We have seen the constant introduction of energy drinks like "Powerade" and "Wired" because people want to keep going at the speed of light. We have such a hard time just coming to a "full stop" and seeing God's power poured into us in those moments of stillness. Yet, nothing artificial will ever replenish like the real thing! Just sayin!
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. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:28-31 MSG)
God lasts. Think on that one for just a moment. There are a whole lot of pulls on our heart to attach ourselves to something or someone who really cannot live up to the consistency, continuity, and completeness of our God. None will outlast him - not even the pink Energizer Bunny! Look at what is said - he doesn't come and go. If we have ever felt like he has, it is more likely we have left the place of attentiveness toward him rather than the other way around!
What can you imagine in your mind? He is bigger, more powerful, more awesome than even your wildest imagination. I have a pretty active imagination - something I think he blessed me with. I can dream big and think "outside the box", but even the biggest of my dreams has some limits - they may just not be the immediate wall of the "box"!
Some things I'd like us to see about the "bigness" of our God:
* There is no moment in time when he is inattentive to our needs. We need time to catch our breath, because we tire and become worn down by what life brings. God is constantly creating and holding together everything - no moment in time is without his attentive watchfulness. Did you ever stop to consider what would happen if God just let his mind wander a little? If you read our passage in the context of the entire chapter, you will find things like God stretching the skies out like canvas, measuring its expanse between his thumb and forefinger. You find analogies such as God measuring out the weight of each mountain and hill, marching each star out into the night sky, calling each one by their name. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is without his attentive care - including each one of us!
* The creator knows his creation. I once had a car which gave me a whole lot of problems. It was a gift to me, not costing me a dime to acquire it, so I nursed that thing along, recovered its seats, scrubbed away the oxidization from its weathered paint job, and generally got to know it very well. I took apart its inner workings, scrubbing, lubricating, resealing, etc. There were trips to the junk yard to procure replacements for worn out parts. Yep, I knew it well. Yet, I did not really know it as the creator of this little car did. Someone more "in tune" with the inner workings and the symbiotic relationship of the parts "knew" this little car even better. God knows us as the Creator - knowing perfectly well the symbiotic relationship of our parts. No hair is uncounted, no twitch of a muscle is without a purpose. In knowing the symbiotic relationship of the individual "parts" of our lives, doesn't it make sense he'd also know how to best keep these "parts" in the right relationship? What we fail to see is how he is always guiding the "parts" to work as a whole - body, spirit, mind - all in symbiotic relationship. Any part which seeks to operate outside of this relationship, he directs attention toward. Don't resist the attentive focus of the creator - he is really just trying to put things back into the place of symbiosis!
* There is power in his name. I think this is what is reflected in him giving energies to the tired, strength to the weak. We have seen the evolution of "fuel" foods like "Power Bars" to "energize" those who need to remain physically active and attentive, but who cannot stop for long to take in a meal. We have seen the constant introduction of energy drinks like "Powerade" and "Wired" because people want to keep going at the speed of light. We have such a hard time just coming to a "full stop" and seeing God's power poured into us in those moments of stillness. Yet, nothing artificial will ever replenish like the real thing! Just sayin!
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