Isaiah 40:21-26
“It is he 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.” vs. 22-23
For a thousand years or more the people of Israel had had a ringside seat as they watched a whole string of great powers flex their muscles, exercise dominion, and then virtually disappear. The prophets now knew that all human maneuvering for position and wealth was nothing but a charade, and that there was only one true king in the universe. We might laugh at Isaiah’s description of the heavens being stretched out like a tent, but we cannot deny his perspective on history. He gets that all of our land grabs and efforts to colonize and destroy other nations are pure foolishness. We might be top dog for a few short generations, but then another power will take our place, and then another after that. In the eyes of God, we are all like grasshoppers…we hop around excitedly for a time and then we’re gone, and all our pretensions won’t even make the footnotes of history! If that truth can’t bring humility to our leaders and politicians, chances are nothing will. So how shall we live out our time on earth? Certainly not by wallowing in pessimism about the future! We’re here to find joy in existence–and that means living simply while loving God and our neighbor.
Thought for the Day: What great power is likely to replace the United States?
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