“Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.” – Isaiah 40:15

I saw on the news last night that history was made in congress. For the first time ever, the representatives voted to remove the speaker of the house. Just days before that, congress was voting to avoid a government shutdown that seemed imminent. Actually, it seems every few weeks there are arrests, trials, voter fraud, budget crises, and corruption. Now, I know we must consider the filters through which we get our news, and I know “bad news sells,” but I still am always amazed at how much bad news there is! When I hear about all these things, I can’t help but think, “I am glad my hope does not rest in the government of the United States of America!”

A favorite verse of many is Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” But this verse is not just talking about energy to finish your work or strength to get through a bad day. To really understand this verse and find the peace in it we were meant to find, we must read the rest of the chapter, especially verses like, “The nations are a drop in a bucket” (40:15), and “Before him all the nations are as nothing” (40:17). You see, to hope in the Lord means that we do not look anywhere else for our peace and security, including the leaders of this nation or any other. As Selwyn Hughs puts it, “See how great and powerful God is. Set your problems in the context of his omnipotence.”

Almighty God, teach us to always set our eyes on Your omnipotence. We recognize that You are ruler over all the earth. Let us find complete peace in Your power. All the rulers of this world will pass away, but Your Kingdom will last for eternity!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon