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View Articles:
Hope That Soars
Jesus
Manifestation of Grace
How Wonderful You Are, O Lord!
Puffed Up Pretension or Faithful Dependance
Hope That Soars
December 29, 2009
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
(Isaiah 45:29)
Just over a week ago, six-year old Ashlyn Hough was walking to her school in Ottawa, Kansas. Unfortunately someone backing out of a driveway did not happen to see the little girl. The car hit Ashlyn, pushed her into the street, and rested on top of her.
Nick Harris, father of Ashlyn’s best friend, saw it happen. In response, he jumped out of his car, ran to where she was, picked the car up and pushed it off of her.
Ashlyn thinks Mr. Harris is “Superman.” He doesn’t agree. He says that he tried four or five times afterwards to do the same thing, but has been unsuccessful. His explanation of such a display of strength? “Christmas miracle, I guess.”*
Many Christians probably agree with Mr. Harris’ assessment. Non-Christians might explain it in terms of the body’s “fight or flight syndrome,” when a burst of adrenaline in response to a dangerous situation can cause extraordinary strength.
What strikes me most about this story is not how one explains what happened, but rather what it illustrates. Isaiah 40 emphasizes the power and greatness of God. God is so great that “the nations are like a drop in a bucket” to him (vs. 15), the people of the earth are “like grasshoppers” (vs. 22), the rulers of this world are “reduce[ed] . . . to nothing” (vs. 23), and the “starry host" are known and maintained by him (vs.26). Surely such a great God can enable an ordinary dad like Nick Harris to lift a car off his daughter’s best friend!
Isaiah’s message is not directed to would-be “super heroes,” but to us (ordinary!) people of God in the midst of our everyday lives. I need the strength of God more to get me through the day than to get my story on the six o’clock news!
God promises to give strength to us to resist the temptations that are wearing us down (see 1 Corinthians 10:14). He promises to help us persevere in the arduous “race marked out for us—especially as he exercises loving Parental discipline over us (see Hebrews 12:1-3). Whether we have plenty or are in need, God promises to give us the strength to handle either extreme (see Philippians 4:12-13). With the strength God promises, we can be patient and kind to our families, do a good job for our employers, and finish school— whatever it takes to live as Christ’s disciples. That’s good news for the beginning of 2010.
* Reported by Fox4News, Kansas City, MO, December 21, 2009.
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