Saturday, October 10, 2026

Opening Scripture

LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, I praise You for all that You are and all that You’ve done. I praise You for Your abundant blessings to me in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Your Son. I praise You for Your Spirit, who lives in me, comforting, counseling, and guiding each day. Thank you for adopting me into Your eternal family. I offer myself to You this day, through Jesus Christ, who rules and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever more. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Isaiah 40:27-31

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 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. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.

Reflection  

As he has done numerous times, Isaiah follows a declaration of God’s majesty with a declaration of God’s goodness. Earlier in this chapter, the prophet proclaims, “the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and He rules with a mighty arm.” Then he immediately reminds us that the same LORD “gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.”

Yesterday, Isaiah explained that Almighty God “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. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.” Today, he tells us that the LORD “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

The Everlasting God – the Creator of the ends of the earth – is supremely able and supremely good. Therefore, God’s people can continue to trust in Him. Though the Northern Kingdom was already defeated and exiled in Assyria, and though the Southern Kingdom would soon be defeated and exiled in Babylon, God was still watching over His people. Even as they experienced the painful consequences of their rebellion, God had not forsaken them.

In the Book of Comfort, Isaiah repeatedly uses the names Jacob and Israel together to represent all twelve tribes, both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Collectively, they still represented God’s covenant with Abraham. In the midst of their suffering, the people may say, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God,” but that is not true. In spite of the circumstances, God always knows and always cares about the plight of His people.

In the next chapter, God says, “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:8-10).

While the empires of Assyria and Babylon were indeed a formidable threat to anyone who stood in their way, Isaiah makes it clear that they are merely playing a part in God’s global and eternal plan of redemption. Like all earthly powers, the leaders of those nations assumed they were in control, when in fact, Almighty God was orchestrating events to accomplish His good will.

Through it all, in unimaginable ways, God was honoring his covenant with Abraham. The prophet reminded the people again and again that God was in control, not the leaders of threatening foreign nations. Despite the news stories and conspiracy theories circulating around, God was in control. That is a good thing for us to keep in mind today as well.

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

This week’s readings in Isaiah have certainly put us in our places. The Everlasting God is beyond human comprehension. The LORD sits enthroned in the heavens and people are like grasshoppers in comparison. The nations are a drop in a bucket, and He brings earthly rulers to naught. There is nothing that compares to God!

Yet, He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. Those who hope in Him are strengthened. He increases the power of the weak. It begs the question asked by the psalmist in our Opening Scripture. “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

Isaiah weaves together God’s majesty, mystery, and mercy into a powerful message of comfort and hope for His people. God’s power and sovereignty are supreme. He created the universe by His word, and He continuously oversees every part of every galaxy. God’s infinite transcendence is beyond our understanding. His ways are above our ways as the heavens are above the earth. God’s compassion and care for His people is limitless. He is personally concerned about every individual.

Isaiah’s declaration to God’s people then (and now) is that our All Powerful, All Knowing, and All Loving Father has been, and will continue to be, faithful to His promises. Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

Who or what are you trusting in today?

What is your mission and purpose today?

This week’s collective prayer: God, may I be useful to You in Your harvest. Amen.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!