Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:26-31 NLT)
Here in the Bolanger house, we have verse 31 posted in several places as a promise that keeping our focus on Him is the only strength we can rely on, but today the full impact of that promise hit me squarely in the chest.
The promise begins in verse 26, when we are reminded that the God we worship created the very stars in the heavens. That alone is enough to make me pause in awe. If you have never seen Louis Giglio’s Passion series about the stars and the universe we live in, I highly recommend it. The stars He created aren’t tiny points of light in the sky. They are immense, powerful proof of His power. And – He gave every one of them a unique name!
The Word says, “He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not one of them is missing.” (v. 26) Every star in the heavens has its own unique name, and each night, God gives a heavenly roll-call when they show up in our sky. Even the ones we may never see from Earth. And it is only by His great power and incomparable strength none of them wander or are lost. Of the uncountable number of stars, God keeps them all in their rightful place.
Why is that important to note?
Because, if we believe He knows the names of every star in the universe, even though they can’t be counted and likely will never be seen by any earthly eye, then we must believe He knows more than we can comprehend. If He has the ability to not only scatter the stars across immeasurable time and space, but He has individual names for every one of them, names that He calls out every night, and never loses track of any of them, is there anything He doesn’t know or control in this universe He created?
And if He knows and controls everything about this universe He created, then doesn’t it stand to reason that He knows everything about you and me? That He knows everything about your life, your church, your city, your country, your family, your….well…everything?
That is why He talks about the stars, then says, “O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say the Lord ignores your rights?”
He knows and sees all! In the book of Luke, God confirms this in an opposite contrast. “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Luke 12:7a
From the naming of the stars to the counting of hairs, God knows and sees everything.
Then Isaiah reminds us that with His knowing comes a strength we can’t comprehend. Our God is not only Creator, but He is Everlasting. Not just that He has always existed and will always exist (that bakes my brain to think about!!), but He never tires. He has unlimited stamina to not only maintain such knowledge and to see everything, but He keeps anything from getting lost. He cannot sleep or grow weary, or the very fabric of the universe would fall apart!
As if all that wasn’t enough to make me fall into worship, the second half of verse 28 took out my knees.
This was the moment this passage came alive to me. In these times, I’ve spent a lot of time asking God – “Do you see what’s happening? God do you even know what I’m feeling right now? God, do you understand how badly this hurts?”
Isaiah’s response? “No one can measure the depth of His understanding.”
I read that passage yesterday morning, and it was as if God leaned close and said, “Yes, child. I want you to know how deeply I understand and feel your pain. Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you seen? I’ve been right here with you all along.”
God sees. God knows. God understands.
Because of that, I trust Him. And because of that, I can rest on the promise of verse 31.
“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
That is the God I love with all my being. He is the only one I can ever trust who will never fail me!
Hope Always
Michelle B.