Are you tired? Look up, Get Busy, Leave the “God-Stuff” to the throne.

Some of my most tired times are when I am trying to handle things I’m not intended to handle.

This life is short – Isaiah 40:6 “A Voice was saying, ‘Cry out!’ Another said, ‘What should I cry out?’ All humanity is grass and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; … but the word of our God remains forever” (also Isa 55:11; 59:21)

Lots of “voices” tell us what to say and think – some say, “cry out”, others say, “I would but I don’t even know what to say.” But I do know that anything of worry in life is SHORT.

Then v9 – “go up on a high mountain and raise your voice loudly… raise it, do not be afraid… say… HERE IS YOUR GOD!”

Oh this is important with all the focus trying to steal us away. Say, “Here” – can you see the writer pointing, or holding up a hand and saying “Hinneh” = Behold, See, If”

Look, see, if this is true, if this is our God… In a world / life that is fading flowers or burning grass – keep your eyes on what lasts.

v10 – “The Lord comes with strength… power to rule – his wages are with him (Isa.62:11) We are so busy trying to get our “just due” but even that is just fading flowers and grass. Look – Adonai Yahweh – The Lord God is coming… and he has sekar – payment / wages and reward accompanies him… is with him.

Behold – the powerful ruling one – Look at God – each of these sections is going back to v9 and saying “Look” “Here”

• v11 who protects his flock, gathers and even carries when needed
• v12 who measures all the waters of the earth in the hollow of his hand – make a “cup” out of your hand… look at that… all the waters, every ocean, ever river or stream, every fountain or well – fits in the Lord’s hand. And it says he measures the heavens with the span of his hand. Go look at the Skies, the stars at night, the expanse, God measures that with his other hand.
• v13 who directed that? who gave him counsel?
• v14 who taught him?

Here is our God – Look

• v17 Think about your concerns, my concerns for our nation and then look they are nothing … empty
• v18 with whom will you compare God?
• v19-20 points out that yet we will create false objects of worship from useless things

Here – Behold – Look

• v22 God is enthroned so far above… we are like grasshoppers
• v23 He reduces princes to nothing… when he blows on them, they wither

Then … we hear God’s Voice – he speaks into this conversation…

• v25 To whom will you compare me… who is my equal? Asks the Holy One

I think we get Tired because we are looking at the wrong things… giving glory to Grass and Flowers – that fade and are burned up

Look up and see

• v26 who created, who calls the stars out by number? He calls them by name. Because of his great power… not one of them is missing (Psalm 145:5-6)

Then God reminds us that sometimes, we erroneously think he doesn’t see or care… don’t believe that lie, same lie the deceiver told in the garden, saying that God’s word wasn’t true, and that he doesn’t care, and that we won’t die without him.

• v27 why do you say, ‘my way is hidden… my claim is ignored by my God. That is the lie from the abyss… nisterah = concealed yaabor = passed over –

Oh child, oh Sheep of his pasture, nothing is ever concealed from God, he never skips over your concerns and prayers, even if he doesn’t ask as or when you want.

Behold

• v28 Do you not know, have you not heard… This is not God’s “first rodeo” not his first day on earth… no The Lord is the Everlasting God (El-Olam) He created (bore) and he never gets tired, he has not limit to understanding. Oh I KNOW we KNOW… but we forget

Here… Behold

• v29 Tired child know this… He gives strength to the faint (weary) and strengthens the powerless (absent of power or wealth) YES – we get tired… and yes we stumble even “face plant”… but…

Then comes the most famous verse in this passage, one of the most quoted and perhaps misunderstood in scripture…

• v31 those who trust in the Lord – There is a Group here – those -those who get through the tiredness, who get through the struggle – Who are “they”? Those who are the smartest? Those who are the strongest? Those who are the most patient? No – Those who trust in the Lord

Behold – Look – See – Lift your Eyes… that word, depending on your translation, trust, wait, hope… the word is qavah – I have heard people talk about “wait” like a servant – and if we serve the Lord it renews our strength and there is a point to be made… but this word – qavah – eagerly wait, eagerly expect, eagerly hope, look intently – It means to set your heart, tune your ears, desire greatly the Lord. The root of the word carries the idea of a straight string or measuring line. It comes from a word that describe the weaving of a spider’s web. It means to listen for a sound, to twist around…

those who Hope, Trust, Wait – heart set, ears tuned, desires focused on THE LORD – those… will renew their strength… will soar on wings like eagles, run and not become weary, walk and not faith.

We often see it like a plan, walk, run, soar… but this is the other way because of who it is experienced.. Soaring happens because of the physics of wind and adjustment to external forces. Running happens because of training and ability given. But most of what we do is in the every day walking – halak = to go, walk, behave, vanish, die, pass away.

Some days, I “soar” on the winds of the spirit… I’m not doing it, I just adjust to it.

Some days, I run in the strength of the Lord and seems like I could go all day because of the work already prepared.

But every day, I walk… behave… go… until I pass away… without becoming exhausted … tired? sometimes… but not wore out… take another step, make another move.

I think about my grandfather, Lester Patterson. He was a pastor to Native American Churches most of his ministry life. He hadn’t been able to attend college and at 65 he enrolled at Southwestern Seminary extension. He graduated at 74! His mission organization finally stopped paying him in his 70s, but he kept on serving, pastoring, sharing Jesus. Then he had a couple of strokes in his 80s, that put him in a wheelchair and couldn’t use one side of his 6’3″ frame. But he kept it up. At 90 he completed a Doctorate of Theology from online work, listening to classes and turning in tests and papers. The week he passed away at 92 – he still recorded his weekly 15-minute radio devotion. Had someone take him to the hospital where he was a chaplain and he used one arm and one leg to push his wheelchair around and change out gospel literature and make some visits… and then he passed away.

Tired?

Look Up

Let God handle the “God-Stuff” and walk on, move on, heart set, twisted around The Lord our God.