God’s Love and Power
The Love and the Power of our Awesome God
It is no secret that Isaiah 40, my favorite chapter in the Bible, focuses on the greatness, or you for sure can say, the awesomeness of God. Throughout my previous ten posts on Isaiah 40, I have come at it from two different angles.
First, we examined the reality that we humans aren’t impressive in the scope of eternity. Isaiah 40 reminds us that our lives, accomplishments, rulers, and even all nations, when added together, are but a drop from a bucket before God. We are also reminded that we, our accomplishments, and our rulers quickly pass away. As Chris Tomlin once put it, a reminder of our “significant insignificance.”
Secondly, we have focused on aspects of Isaiah 40 that give us an incredible vantage point, a view through the eyes of God. When we join Him, as if he invited us to sit with Him on the summit of Mount Everest, we recognize his immenseness. From that view, looking on creation far below, we not only begin to grapple with the enormity of God, and the amazingness of his creation, but also recognize our inherent smallness in contrast to the awesomeness of the Creator of all time, space, and eternity.
From that same spot, when we look up, we gaze into his vast universe and its seemingly endless expanse, and are invited to ponder the power of the God who set the stars in motion. From that view, whether we look up or down, we realize that God is truly awesome.
For a stunning view of God's creation, check out this helicopter ride flying around Mount Everest. It is worth taking the time to watch this video 9 minute video not only to take in the amazingness of the tallest mountain on earth, but also to recognize that this is just 1 clip, you might say, from the 'highlight real', from the long list amazing things God created. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2vTCNNdCQ4
In our third vantage point, Isaiah 40 creates a short list of “attributes” of God. This list starts in verse 10 which states, “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and He rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.”
An attribute of God is a characteristic or quality inherent to the nature, or you might say, personality, of God. In verse 10, we are reminded that God is powerful. Indeed He is, throughout the Bible. The evidence of his power is overwhelming. He, among many other things: created heaven and earth, performed miracles, changed lives, defeated adversaries (both in the heavenlies and on earth), brought in and reduced to nothing both rulers and nations, and rose from the dead. In speaking of God's power, verse 26 also states, ‘“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”
Indeed, as the 1988 song by Rich Mullins proclaims, and has since been sung by many other artists, “Our God is an Awesome God!”
That is not to say, there are not terrible calamities in this life. There are. The evidence is overwhelming that wars, pandemics, and unexplainable things happen that you and I will never comprehend or be able to explain, and even in our attempts to do so, will come up short. Thankfully though, in the midst of all that, we are loved by an incredible, powerful, and awesome God.
Dear brother or sister in Christ, or friend along life’s journey, as we begin a new week, in the midst of its challenges and opportunities, take comfort to know that the God of all time, space, and eternity, is not only powerful, but He is awesome. I also want to let you in on a little secret.
Although I am not 100% consistent, I try to reserve the use of the word “awesome,” only for God. I am not at all saying you need to do the same, but I am saying when I say that God is awesome, to me that is the highest word, in my vocabulary. A word I reserve for my praise, to Him alone. I hope you can smile along with me this week, because of the love and the power of our awesome God.