Rejoice in God's Power
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:21-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? ... He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth ... Isaiah 40:21-22
Have you heard the story by Max Lucado about a man who prayed that God would show his power and collapse a wall like that of Jericho (Joshua 6) and stop a storm the way he did in Galilee (Luke 8:22-25)? God answered the man by bringing down a wall--not of brick, but of sin. And he stilled a storm--not of a sea, but of a soul. Tragically, because the man was looking for the wrong things, he complained that God had done nothing. He asked God, "Have you lost your power?" And God answered, "Have you lost your hearing?"
Sometimes we wonder if God really is in control. As I work on these devotions, there's the risk of civil war in Iraq, the threat of nuclear arms in Iran and Korea, oppression in Sudan, and ongoing conflict between Israel and its neighbors. Has God lost his power?
According to Isaiah 40, God has not lost his power, but we may have lost our hearing. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? ... He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers... The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth."
That's reality. And someday God will show his power by bringing wicked rulers to nothing and renewing his creation.
Rejoice: God holds all power!
Lord our God, help us to see clearly the work of your awesome power in our world, and help us to rejoice in it. Help us to trust in you each day. In Jesus' name, Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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