Day 2 — Isaiah 40:12-31 The incomparable God, the strengthened weary
Opening prayer
Heavenly Father, lift my eyes today to see your greatness. When I am weary, doubtful, or discouraged, remind me that you are powerful enough to save and compassionate enough to strengthen all who hope in you. Amen
Headline
God is beyond comparison: he made the universe, rules the nations, outlasts idols, and gives strength to the weary who hope in him.
Isaiah 40:12-31
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 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.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Comment
Yesterday Isaiah announced the good news: “Here is your God!” (40:9). But that immediately raises a question. Is this God able to do what he promises? Can he really bring his people home from exile? Can he really deal with sin, defeat idols, outlast empires, and save his weary people? And if he can, does he care enough to do it?
Today’s passage answers both questions with a resounding yes.
Firstly, God is incomparably powerful. Isaiah piles up questions that make us feel how small we are and how great God is. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? Who has marked off the heavens with the breadth of his hand? Who has weighed mountains on scales? (v.12). The universe that overwhelms us is, to God, like something easily held, measured, and ordered.
Nor does God need advice. “Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counsellor?” (v.13). He does not consult, learn, revise, or panic. No problem surprises him. No crisis leaves him searching for wisdom. His understanding is not merely greater than ours; it is beyond comparison.
The same is true of his rule over the nations. To us, nations and rulers can seem enormous. Their decisions shape history. Their armies, economies, and influence can intimidate us. But before God, “the nations are like a drop in a bucket” (v.15). Princes rise and fall. Empires appear and disappear. God remains enthroned above it all.
That is why idols are so absurd. Isaiah almost mocks the process. A craftsman makes an image, covers it with gold, fastens it with chains, or chooses wood that will not rot, and then makes sure it will not topple (vv.18–20). What sort of god has to be manufactured, stabilised, and protected by the worshipper? Idols are not only false; they are ridiculous.
Then comes the great command: “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens” (v.26). The stars are not random, independent powers. God created them, numbers them, names them, and sustains them. “Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing” (v.26). If God governs the stars, then his people have no reason to think their future is beyond his control.
But Isaiah’s purpose is not to crush us with God’s greatness. It is to comfort us with it. Israel complains, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God” (v.27). That is the cry of discouraged faith. They do not necessarily deny God’s existence. They wonder whether he sees, cares, or will act.
Isaiah’s answer is magnificent. The everlasting Creator does not grow tired or weary (v.28), yet he gives strength to those who do. Human strength, even youthful strength, eventually fails. But “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (v.31). The promise is not that believers will never feel weak. It is that God gives sustaining strength to those who wait for him in trust.
And notice the movement: they will soar, run, and walk. Sometimes the Christian life feels like flying. Sometimes we run with energy and purpose. But often we simply walk — one step of faithfulness after another. That too is grace. God strengthens his people not only for dramatic moments, but for steady endurance.
Why does God want me to hear this today? Because weariness easily distorts my view of God. When I am tired, disappointed, or discouraged, I can start to think my way is hidden from him. Isaiah tells me to lift up my eyes. The God who names the stars also knows my path. He is powerful enough to save, wise enough to rule, and compassionate enough to strengthen the weak. As Eric Liddell reads in Chariots of Fire, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (v.31). (See the clip here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjF59VB0h6g). So today, whether I soar, run, or simply walk, I can keep going in hope.
Reflect
- Where am I tempted to think my way is hidden from the Lord?
- How does Isaiah’s vision of God’s incomparable power challenge my fears or idols?
- What would it look like today to hope in the Lord and keep walking faithfully?
Closing prayer
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, I praise you that you do not grow tired or weary. Forgive me when I doubt your power, question your care, or turn to lesser things for strength. Please renew my strength as I hope in you. Help me to soar when you lift me, run when you enable me, and walk faithfully when the path is long. In Jesus’ name. Amen
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