Cody's Corner: Finding comfort from God's challenging words

by Cody Biby

In Isaiah 40:21, we read: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?”

Have you ever seen one of those signs in front of a lake that says “Caution: Lake Ahead?” I always think: “Yeah, Captain Obvious. I could see the lake way before I saw your sign.” How ignorant do we have to be to need a sign to make sure we do not drive into a lake? Fortunately for us, we have a God who knows how ignorant, fearful and forgetful we as human beings can be.

In a chapter where He is comforting Israel, the above statement – among priceless others – is found. Isn’t it interesting that comfort can be found in challenging or convicting verses in the Word of God?

Some of the aspects brought up in this chapter are God’s sovereignty, power, unfathomable knowledge, caring compassion and different blessings derived from believing in Him. If you do not believe in God, let me be the first to tell you that God is all you need.

He is more powerful and loving than you could even imagine. Let that actually sink in before you outright reject it or start bringing accusations against the Everlasting God and the Creator of the ends of the Earth.

If you do reject His savior, Jesus Christ, there is an eternal price to pay that should terrify you more than any earthly pandemic ever could. If you are a believer, do you believe the whole of Isaiah 40, or do you just like to quote the last verse while never really putting your hope, life, and complete emotional and psychological realm in Him?

We cannot soar with eagles – and run and not grow weary – if we never start the race or leave the nest. If the pandemic or life events have gotten you down, I encourage you to read the whole of Isaiah 40 and see what verses jump out to stabilize your faith, convict you to the core, calm your fears or accomplish whatever the Holy Spirit wants to. Our God is the God who can weigh mountains on scales and weigh whole islands as if they were fine dust. He has no equal, and no one compares to Him. To him, nations and armies are like dust, and He also carries His flock close to His heart.

Never fear, never lose heart and never lose hope. Why? Because our God is still on His throne. His Son is coming back soon. May He find us faithful. This should be obvious to us, but remember that we are the kind of sheep that need: “Caution: Lake Ahead” signs. Fortunately, we have a God and a Savior who love us in spite of this, and whose promises never fail. Remember Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever.”

This is true for all the Word of God, not just the “good” or “scary” parts of the Bible. All of it is true all of the time, no matter what we are going through. May that be comforting and challenging to us