A World Out of Control
Isiah 40:22-25 It is the Lord who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. (NRSV)
There are currently almost a billion undernourished people in the world whilst 2½ billion are either overweight or obese. Over half a trillion dollars will be spent on illicit drugs this year. Of the 140+ million people who will die this year, over half will do so in their mother’s womb. Is it just me, or does the world seem to be completely out of control?
Okay, so you and I can’t make much of a difference on a global scale. But at the same time, sometimes our own lives seem to be out of control.
I was chatting the other day with a couple whose adult son was in rehab yet again for his drug problem. They’re loving, God-fearing parents who’ve done their best to bring up their children … yet this.
So when life seems to be hurtling completely out of control, here’s something worth remembering:
Isaiah 40:22-25 It is the Lord who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. (NRSV)
As A.W. Tozer once said: “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there’s a God who hasn’t surrendered His authority.”
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.