He alone is everlasting.

“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 40:28-31, NLT)

  Some passages in the Bible become token thoughts.  They are printed out on posters and plaques because people like the poetic sound of the words and they function as inspirational morale boosters.  Many times these same passages tend to be used as texts at funerals where we need encouraging thoughts and woven into songs to carry the thought even further into our daily living.  It is a good thing to be familiar with a passage of Scripture and it is even better when a verse becomes an inspiration to our living, yet in all of this we might miss the purpose of the thought in the first place.

     Such as passage is found in Isaiah as the great prophet proclaims the Lord alone is everlasting and He alone stands without getting weary,  giving strength for us to rise above the difficulties of any moment or season in time.  The verses plucked out of their context and used simply as a slogan of hope might negate the intensity of the great struggle of the prophet Isaiah was trying to address. The contrast he lays out offers an attempt through his words to address the vast void in our frailty as humans and the everlasting nature of God.  Innate in the human heart is our tendency to elevate our living and significance as something we have power and mastery over, envisioning our living as going on and on without end.  We also as human beings, tend to elevate our strengths as much more sufficient than they really are.  We tend to put our trust in the things we make and even the gods we worship. 

     Long after all that the craftsmen, artists and inventors have made has become obsolete, neglected, broken and has been cast aside as useless and after all our trusted securities are realized as illusions, the Everlasting God remains.  He alone cast the blankets of stars in the heavens and knows them by name and He alone does not lack in power to give, renew  and sustain.  All and everything that is seen by our eyes will wear out and become useless but He remains to come time and time again not only to bring  strength to us but to lift us up to soar with Him on His everlasting wings.  The reality of our Everlasting Lord caring for us in such a way, although captured a bit in tiny way in a familiar verse is really beyond our understanding.  Trust in the Lord to find everlasting strength and soar like an eagle on His wings.  May it never be just an expression. May our trust be only in the everlasting God and may His promises be ever realized and lived out … over and over again in all of our days.

Suggested Bible Reading … Isaiah 40