Take a step back
by Pastor Stephen Abraham
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‘God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth … He stretches out the skies like a piece of cloth’ (Isaiah 40:22).
There are times in life where we may feel hopeless:
- Your business is struggling, and you can see no way out.
- Your dearest loved one is dying right before your eyes, and you are powerless to help them.
- Your own health is failing.
- The pile of tasks you have to do seems insurmountable.
- Your refugee status hangs in the balance and threatens the peace and freedom you so desperately seek.
- Your family is fractured, despite your best efforts.
One thing I’ve learnt from my psychologist while dealing with my own failing health/disability is to mindfully take a step back and passively observe from the outside the situation I’m facing.
As I read Isaiah 40, it strikes me that the writer invokes a similar principle. The writer takes the reader out of the inwardly hopeless situation they face and shows them the larger heavenly perspective at play, namely God’s sovereignty over all. God is above and beyond political machinations, national disasters, and personal tragedy and has a larger eternal plan well beyond our momentary human comprehension.
When the hardship is overwhelming, stop what you are doing, close your eyes, mentally take a step back, and passively observe the issues you face right now from an eternal perspective – your own timeline, if you will. Passively observe what has happened, what is happening now, and maybe where things are heading. Don’t judge, and don’t engage with the emotion. Just observe things without bias and realise that God reigns over all of this. Spend a few moments in silence doing that right now.
Isaiah 40:29–31 (The Message)
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
The promise given in verses 29–31 is profound. What are we to do in our hopeless situations? We are to qavah. This means ‘to wait, to look for, to hope, to expect’. Spend time waiting for God to turn up. Take a breather with God – whatever that looks like for you. For me, it is in meditation; for you, maybe it’s a contemplative walk, Sunday worship, timeout with God listening to a favourite song or hymn, or just praying around those verses.
That is where the strength comes; not in princes, powers, possessions or politics. The strength to move forward through hardship ironically comes from what some would call ‘navel-gazing’ or ‘sitting down and doing nothing [practical] about it’!
Almighty God, as I sit here with your word, I wait for you. Open my eyes to see your hand in my life and circumstances. Come, Holy Spirit; breath your breath of life and power into my frail human form. Lord Jesus, raise me to life to love and serve you this day. Amen.
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