Look To HIm

God can't do it. It's impossible.

To many of us, those words look confusing or even offensive when strung together like that, don't they? But sometimes our trust in God grows as we contemplate something He simply doesn't have the ability to do. 

In Isaiah chapters 41-47 God puts Himself on trial. He wants His people to have the opportunity to compare God's track record versus that of local idols that seemed to have a way of competing for their attention and affection. In Isaiah 46 He uses measures of carrying, sustaining, and rescuing.

The idols, on one hand, are heavy weights that the worshippers must carry around. God wants to know if His children have ever seen any of this burdensome images ever rescue anyone (*spoiler alert* ...they don't... bet you weren't surprised by that). God reminds them, on the other hand, that He has "carried them since their birth" and that He is the one who "will sustain you." As verse 4 ends He repeats Himself to underscore just how important it is that we don't miss that "I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

Isaiah 46 is contrasting the gods you can carry and the God who carries you -- and there is no comparison! 

We may not be all that tempted to trust physical idols made of stone or gold. But as we considered in our Ecclesiastes series, as Christians in Comox today there are real temptations to trust the invisible idols of our age:

Sex.
Image.
Power.
Money. 
Security.
A predicable life. 
Our own goodness.
Political hopes. 

And ultimately -- the autonomous self. 

These gods cannot carry, sustain or rescue you. 

In fact, their weight will crush you. 

Put these gods on trial if you like. 

What we discover in life, and Isaiah 46 does so well to point out, is that when people carry gods, it leads to their destruction, but when God carries people, it leads to their salvation. 

What happens when we let go of gods we carry and trust Jesus instead? God will faithfully carry you. 

So, what can't God do? He cannot be unfaithful. 2 Timothy 2.13 reminds us that "He cannot disown Himself," meaning it's impossible for Him to stray in any way from His nature of faithfulness. 

Life has thrown a lot at us lately, hasn't it? A pandemic + church transitions + twists and turns and unknowns of all kinds. I have been reflecting on God's faithfulness today because it is one year ago this month that Laura and I came to Comox to 'preach the call.' And some of you might have noticed that this Dearly Beloved post sounds awfully similar to the message God put in my heart for CPC that day.

Who has carried us through this past year? Our faithful God.
What can we anticipate as we look forward? The faithfulness of God. 

Let's forsake all others and look only to Him! 

Pastor Mike