14th Sunday After Pentecost
Isaiah 40:26-31
Peace to all of you who are in Christ! In the name of Jesus. Once when I was a little child, I was with my mom walking through a supermarket and I spotted a big bag of butter finger candy bars. I thought to myself, “Boy, do those look good- in fact it’s just in my reach- I bet if I grabbed that bag and begged mom that she would buy it.” But when I turned around, “Where’s mom? All I see is strange, scary people, my heart jumps to my throat, mom’s gone, she forgot me, tears are coming, I’m all alone, lost!” Ever felt that way? Ever feel like that today? Maybe it isn’t quite as dramatic any more, but it can be just as scary. Maybe today you’re just lost in the craziness of this world. What’s going on in the world with the economy, the wars, terrorist attacks, health care, etc.? Where do I fit in? Is there anyone who cares about me in this great big glob of this world?
Guess what, God has an answer for you. He answers you in the same way He answered the people of Israel. You see, the prophet Isaiah wrote to faithful believers who very likely just saw many of their comrades hauled off to captivity. Now they probably felt deserted, down hearted, and lost- wondering if God is still concerned about them. Just like God comforted his believers almost 3,000 years ago, He also comforts you today- in His Word God shows you His concern for you by pointing to His creation.
Why did God create the stars in the sky? Out of many reasons God picks one for us today. God in his power faithfully “brings out the starry host one by one” every night and by His might holds each of them in their position. Did you know that on a clear night without much moonlight you can see about 3,000 stars in the sky with your eye? With a good telescope you can see about 100,000. It is estimated that there are 100 billion stars in our galaxy and there are about 100 billion galaxies that we know about. Our text says God has a name for each and every one of those stars in the sky and not a single one of them escapes His notice! If God shows that much concern for stars which are part of His creation, that tells you how much concern He has for the prize of his creation, humans! God purposefully and carefully formed humans. More than that He sent his own Son, Jesus, to die for humans like you, you are the prize of His creation. God cares about you, He’s not only concerned that you exist; He is concerned about every single circumstance in your life. Everything in your life- no matter how insignificant- is the object of God’s deepest concern. God your Creator even promises that He knows even the number of hairs on your head (Matt 10:30)!
If God is that concerned about us, why do you and I still mutter to ourselves things like, “’My way is hidden from the Lord.’ God has no idea what I am going through. He has no idea how difficult my life is right now. He doesn’t understand what pressures are suffocating me. God is completely unconcerned; I mean when I walk on the sidewalk I don’t care about those little ants crawling on the ground, that’s probably how God feels about me”? If God really cared about me He would show me.”
But God IS concerned about you, He shows you in His creation and He tells you so in His Word.ea God, the only and everlasting, is the LORD of free and faithful love. He tells you He has forgiven all your sins and He has because of Jesus. He tells you He will take you to heaven and He will because He has promised it. God tells you He is deeply concerned about your day to day life. How can God do this? I mean my wife and I have a hard enough time trying to take care of 1 child, but God takes care of ch and every one of his children individually. How? Because He is the “Creator of the ends of the earth”! Will God ever become weary or tired out? NO! Is there anything in your life that God can’t turn for your eternal good? NO! Your Creator’s wisdom is beyond searching out!
Do you sometimes feel lost in the craziness of life? Can you think of times when you might feel like God has abandoned you the mess of this sinful world? He hasn’t. The God who created this entire universe has you and every single tiny particle of your life in His constant care and concern. This same faithful, loving, and all-powerful God promises with His Word to renew your strength, to lift you up like on eagle’s wings, to cause you to run and not grow weary, and to walk and not be faint. Does God have the ability to do this? Yes, He does because he is the Creator of all things! So, are you lost in this world like the little child all alone in a great big supermarket? Not at all, because God is concerned about you!