Read Together: Isaiah 40:9–31

This Sunday, Pastor Jerry invited us to grow in cultivating a heart of joy with the fear of the Lord. One way we do that is by admiring God’s unfathomable greatness. Isaiah 40, as Pastor Jerry mentioned in his sermon, calls us to marvel at God’s greatness and power. In this chapter, Isaiah summons us to behold our God, to gaze at his power and glory.

Isaiah presents the greatness of God using grand imagery of God’s power and control over the world, making the point that nothing and no one can compare to God. All the water on the earth, the sky, the sand, and the mountains and hills are small things to God. The nations, likewise, can threaten God no more than a drop in a bucket can hurt you.

No one can add to his wisdom. No Google search could process all of his understanding. No animal sacrifice is worthy of God. No idol can even compare to him. Princes and rulers and presidents and kings and powerful CEOs are nothing compared to him. Even the seemingly immovable stars are like an army that obediently parades before him, their General and Ruler.

Yet, beholding God’s grand power and glory shouldn’t lead us to believe that he is distant and unknowable. Isaiah 40 doesn’t show us a God who is merely above us, but a God who gives to us out of his great power (40:29). He is both a mighty warrior and a gentle shepherd (40:10–11). We can find joy in the fear of the Lord by beholding his holy majesty and power and knowing that he rules over all for his glory and the good of his people.

Discussion Questions

1. What part of God’s greatness described in Isaiah 40 stood out to you?
2. How is this description of God’s greatness meant to bring us joy and comfort (Isa 40:1)?
3. How does beholding God’s greatness help us grow in the fear of the Lord?

Ideas for Younger Kids

• Read all or portions of Isaiah 40 with your kids. Talk about some of the imagery and what it means. For example, pour some water in the “hollow” of your hand and show your kids what a “span” is (the distance between your thumb and pinky finger) to demonstrate Isaiah 40:12. Get a bucket and pour a drop of water into it to picture Isaiah 40:15. Discuss with your kids how God is greater than we can imagine but he is not far away but loves and cares for us.     

Memorization: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:28)

Song: Listen to “Behold Our God” (Sovereign Grace Music).

Pray Together

• Praise God for his unfathomable greatness.
• Confess before God that we often fail to grasp his greatness and power and hold small views of who he is.  
• Give thanks to God that he is the God who give us strength when we rely on him.   
• Pray that God would help us grow in cultivating a heart of joy with the fear of the Lord.

Go Together

• Make a plan as a family or as individuals for some steps you can take to grow in your view of God and his greatness. Some ideas include: memorizing all of Isaiah 40 as a family and reflecting on what it teaches, making it a habit to ask yourselves “what does this teach us about God” as you read the Bible, reading a book like Isaiah as a family and reflecting on what it teaches about God, or reading one of the books Pastor Jerry recommended in his sermon.

Photo Credit: “Cosmic Cliffs,” Webb Telescope, nasa.gov.