To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmity plates it with gold, and a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects a tree that does not rot; he seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman to prepare an idol that will not totter.Is 40:18-20 [Is 40:12-26]
It is just a simple piece of wood. Some person picks it up from the ground and studies it, then stuffs it in a backpack. They take it home and set it on the workbench. With gentle hands the stick of wood is taken from the backpack and set on the nicked surface of the bench. The wood worker pulls down a rolled canvas bag from the shelf and sets it down on the weathered counter. With wizened hands the woodcarver unties the straps holding the canvas together and unrolls his tools. Quickly he stokes the fire in the fireplace to his left before picking up his knife and piece of wood. Skillfully he carves away the excess wood, leaving the rough figure of a man. He takes another knife to cut in the details of the figure. After hours of sweat and blood his sculpture is finished. He puts his tools away and steps back to admire his work. The clock on the wall strikes the hour. The wood carver quickly sweeps the shavings into a pan and throws them into the fire. The fire wolfishly devours the kindling. He turns back to his statue and carefully picks it up from the wooden table. He delicately carries it over to another table and places it on a golden stand. The whittler runs to the pantry and selects the finest foods he can gather and brings them to the figure. He falls to his knees and bows in worship, chanting in deep guttural tones, the name of his god.
But can your god to this?
Can your god claim to have been from eternity to eternity and have all power at His command? “Even from eternity I am He . . .” (Is 43:13) “Before the mountains were born, Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Ps 90:2) “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.” [John 8:58] Perhaps your god took the great void and spoke across the great expanse and light and darkness, water and atmosphere, dry land and sea and plants, sun and moon and stars, all manner of living creatures, and man suddenly appeared on a tiny ball called earth. Perhaps your god hung this seemingly insignificant ball amidst a vast array of celestial wonders – breathtaking novas and supernovas, incomprehensible galaxies, brilliant comets, kaleidoscopic planets, astonishing stars, and wonders yet to uncover. Perchance your god measured off the waters of the vast oceans in the palm of his hand, marked off the infinite measure of space, and calculated the exact weight of the earth down to the smallest particle of dust. Maybe it was your god who caused the rains to come in their season and commanded the morning sun to shine at its appointed time. Maybe your god knows the dwelling place of light or has seen the gates of death. Where then does the snows come from if your god is indeed powerful? Who commands the storms to rage or to be silent? Who is it then that set Orion and Pleiades and the Bear and all the constellations of heaven in place and keeps them there? Did your god create the millions upon millions of various insects and other living creatures, making them all distinct from the other? Maybe it was your god that sets the seasons in motion and tells the animals when it is time to bear young. Is your god the god who stands in the heavens and laughs at the nonsense of man? Is it your god who sets up rulers and takes them down? Is it your god who reaches down into the depths of time, takes on the form of one of His creations, and becomes the only means of salvation? Your god can do nothing. With part of him you warm yourself and with another you worship.
But God!
God alone has created the worlds with His own hand. God alone stands above all others, lifting those whom He desires and crushing those He chooses. It is God who pours out justice to the nations and descends from heaven on the heels of a storm and the back of cherubs to rescue His chosen ones. It is God who exercises justice and righteousness and administers grace and mercy. “’To whom then will you liken Me that I should be his equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing.” (Is 40:25, 26)
But most importantly, my God reaches out to those who are hurting. He offers salvation by the blood of Christ to those who are floundering under the curse of sin. He does not become weary in all His work. His understanding is inscrutable and His ways past our understanding. When we fail and grow weary, He is there. All that we need to do is to wait with expectant hope on our Almighty God, and He will give us new strength, wings like eagles, and the energy to run without tiring.
When you have tired of doing things your way or have tired of simply trying, God is there. He is not some inanimate object conceived in the mind of some man or woman to be a crutch. He is not some old man sitting up in the heavens with limited concern. He is the God of all gods and the Redeemer of mankind. He gives strength to the weary, salvation to the lost, and hope to the hopeless. Our God has an active interest in our lives and cares about all that happens to us. He knows what you are going through and offers you His strength, no matter what the obstacle. Remember that He may not take the obstacle away, but He will always give you strength to endure. Wait on the Lord. Oh, and by the way, throw that hunk of wood into the fire and worship Someone who is real!
