Bible Studies for Life: January 12

The Focus of Our Worship • Isaiah 40:21-31

By Sydney Charlton

Humanity longs to behold what is meaningful. We were created with an insatiable desire to understand our purpose because we were created with eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV). Yet when we glance at the world, it is apparent that people are lovers of money and themselves (2 Timothy 2:32, ESV). Time has changed many things, but people remain selfish and prideful when left to their vices. Our longing for purpose and meaning can turn inward, causing us to worship ourselves rather than rightly pouring our affections out on the One Whose blood was spilled on our behalf.

We must properly understand that God alone deserves all praise. He is the only One worthy of our worship. God alone is responsible for blessing us with the countless things that delight us.

Watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset. 

Hearing a child’s laughter. 

Witnessing your favorite team win the big game.

Long walks with a loved one at the end of a busy day.

God has given us good gifts to be enjoyed, but nothing satisfies us like God’s presence. In his book Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon said, “Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” When we consider the nature and character of God made known through Scripture and through knowing Him personally, we understand that everything Earth has to offer pales in comparison.

Isaiah 40:21-24 

It becomes easy to miss the display of God’s power when we are running from one obligation to another in our hurried routines. We are so inundated with tasks that we neglect to notice how His glory surrounds us, like the curtain of stars that the Lord has so kindly decorated the sky with for our enjoyment (v. 22). We fail to acknowledge how Creation exhibits God’s power. 

When the wind blows through the trees and we hear the leaves rustling, we ought to worship Him. Witnessing the sun rise over a plain, marking a new day full of new mercy from Heaven, should prompt us to praise God. 

God chooses to demonstrate His power in a way that awakens us to His nature and character. Slow down and pay attention to the countless ways God’s power and glory are displayed around you. 

Isaiah 40:25-28 

For centuries, earthly leaders have attempted to obtain endless power and prestige. We can fall into this futile trap by exhausting our resources, striving to climb the corporate ladder, or seeking to make a name for ourselves in the community. Losing sight of the significance of God’s power sways us to become worshippers of self rather than worshippers of God.

We worship the God of the universe because He is the only One powerful enough to set every detail of Creation in place and sustain it. There is no one like Him! Every ability you have has been entrusted to you by God. He doesn’t grow weary in anything because He is not like us (v. 28). He is worthy of our worship, and He should be where we place our delight!

Isaiah 40:29-31 

When we are left to our vices, we become familiar with exhaustion. We learn to depend on caffeine to carry us from one responsibility to another. What if we choose differently this year? Rather than creating habits of dependency on earthly things, we ought to rely solely on the Lord and His strength to carry us. 

God doesn’t tire of rescuing us from our circumstances, or even from ourselves. He is a good Father Who delights in helping His children. Earthly parents may become weary of endless tasks and requests made by children. Unlike us, God isn’t looking for reprieve, or a good cup of coffee to carry Him through the day. And the power He holds is made available to all who depend on Him. We are not left to figure things out on our own. Our Father has made a way for us to be renewed and to be strengthened in everything we face this year. 

So, be encouraged! Do not despair! God knows you cannot accomplish all you have been tasked and called to do apart from His power. Rest in Him in 2025 knowing that He delights to strengthen you. Worship Him intentionally this year. He alone is worthy!

Charlton is the OneHope Missions Assistant at Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon.