Like Stubble

'They wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble.'

A week ago, I began a series on my favorite chapter in the Bible, Isaiah 40. In that writing, I focused on a theme in the chapter, that we humans are like grass and grasshoppers. If you have not read it, see my post on September 28th.

Last Thursday morning, I pondered that even the most influential among us are also mere blips on the vast radar of eternity. That line of thought became even more pronounced, with the news that broke later that night, and early the next morning.

Isaiah 40: 23-24 states it this way, “It is He who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.”

I was blown away, as I often am by the timeliness of God’s holy word. Kings, queens, presidents, dictators, and rulers of all types, as powerful and influential that they might seem to be, are merely like the 1977 song by Kansas, “All we are is dust in the wind.”

In the vastness of eternity, and in comparison to God, we, like our rulers, are also little more than grass and grasshoppers. Perhaps timely reminders from God can help each of us and our nation face the following challenges - the contentious election, the unexpected death on the Supreme Court and the dispute on how to fill that seat, the ongoing impact of Covid -19, and how it now has infected the first family, including the leader of the free world.

Some, as they approach politics, tend to associate themselves and their leaders, as being on the side of God. While it certainly can be wise to apply Biblical truth when confronting current political reality, Isaiah 40 reminds us of something much deeper. When we have an over inflated view of humanity, whether our own, or that of any leader, we often have a decreased dependence on our awesome Creator. Isaiah 40 is a clarion call to not put too much stock in fellow mortals who will also soon pass away.

Dear brother or sister in Christ, and friend along life’s journey, as we start a new week, let us take time to pray, asking that the God of all time, space, and eternity, will meet the needs of those around us, to heal our president, all those impacted by Covid-19, and for His answers to the challenges that we are facing as a nation.

Let us also take time to ponder the words of Isaiah 40, that clear the fog, as it reminds us that our deepest needs can only be met by God, and that even the most influential human lives, at best, “they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble.”