God is Bigger Than This Mess

Do you ever feel like you are living in a messy, uncontrollable, and ungodly world?  Christians have always felt this way.  Sometimes it is worse than others.  It may be in the greater society or the circumstances of our personal lives.

I am sure Job felt this way.  In one day the calamities fell on him like waves on the shore.  As we are pummeled by the circumstances of life it is hard to see God at work. The Babylonian captives certainly felt the same way.  They had felt the harsh hand of injustice in their own land and in Babylon.  Their beloved city was in ruins, the beautiful Temple of Solomon destroyed, and their nation no more recognizable people, and yet God was still on the throne.

It is to this group of people God revealed Himself again.

Heaven is My throne,

And earth is My footstool.

Where is the house that you will build Me?

And where is the place of My rest?

For all those things My hand has made,

And all those things exist.  (Isaiah 66:1)

Our God is bigger than we can possibly imagine

Isaiah’s message to the captives was that their God was big—bigger than their imagination could conceive.  The heavens were unknown to the ancients.  They did not understand what those lights were that crossed the skies. Even the realm of the birds was beyond their reach.  What they did know was that it was big.  So God described Himself in the biggest terms that they could conceive.

As our understanding of God’s immensity has grown as our understanding of the universe has grown.  When Voyager 1 turned for its last photograph of our solar system as it crossed into interstellar space, it caught in its lens the image of a shaft of light extending out of from our sun.  Scientists later noticed that in the middle of that shaft of light was a little tiny blue dot.  It was our earth, so small and insignificant against the vast expanse of our solar system and galaxy.  Carl Sagan reminded us for years about how small and insignificant we are in our vast universe.  For believers, we are not reminded so much about how small we are as much as how big God is.  Our God made all this.  He is bigger than all this.  No mess we endure is overwhelming to Him.

Our God is big enough to see the very small.

But on this one will I look:

On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,

And who trembles at My word. (Isaiah 66:2)

This great big God is also big in His knowledge and care.  He is omniscient enough and loving enough to look on the sinner, poor and contrite.  In this wide world with its billions of people, with all of its screaming masses, God sees those who humbly tremble at His word.  He sees them, knows them, and looks on them with favor.

Our God is strong enough to make all things right

And he will make all things right (Isaiah 66:3-11).  He promises the captives that they would again inhabit Jerusalem.  He promises justice for those who had been oppressed.  He promises vindication for His faithful servants.

In a world of hate, lies, turmoil, and fear, he promises peace to His people and to Jerusalem.

Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,

And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.

Then you shall feed;

On her sides shall you be carried,

And be dandled on her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforts,

So I will comfort you;

And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:12-13).

Our big God will do all of this.  May we never lose sight of Him.