Deep Confidence in a Big God
Before the telescope was invented, all that was known about the sky above was what could be seen with the naked eye.
Now, thanks to advances in modern technology, we are aware of far-off galaxies, stunning nebulas, and mysterious black holes. Now, we realize that our knowledge was (and still is) severely limited.
There’s something about staring up at a blanket of stars that beckons wonder. There’s something about a watercolor sunset that invites curiosity. There’s something about standing on top of a giant rock—that’s suspended on nothing in the middle of a massively complex universe—that invites worship.
We are merely discovering what God has put here in the first place. And the more we uncover, the more we are filled with awe.
Yes, the heavens remind us of God’s majesty; the skies remind us of His splendor. But they also remind us of how big He is and how small we are. They remind us of His vastness and our limitations, and of His independence and our utter dependence on Him.
So whenever you see a star-filled sky, are stopped in your tracks by a brilliant sunrise, or read about some extraordinary discovery on the fringes of space, don’t forget to praise the One who has created and sustained it all along.
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, ...
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
Hundreds of years before Jesus, the people of God were in trouble.
They were stuck in life, unable to help themselves, and perhaps beginning to doubt that God would save them. Have you ever felt the same way? If so, you might relate to the original audience of this verse—the exiles in Babylon.
The Babylonians conquered God's people and land, sending them hundreds of miles away. Maybe they thought that God had abandoned them, or that He couldn’t hear their cries. But God is always close—especially when His people call on His name.
Isaiah let his people know that God would provide a way out of Babylonian captivity. And God kept His promise, allowing His people to return home.
Generations later, many of God’s people saw themselves as being in a new exile. They were home, but all was not well. So they remembered this verse and its promise—that no matter how dark or desperate our situation might be, God is able to provide a path out of brokenness, ...