"Here is your God!"

I guess I'll explain these pictures and share a few thoughts that I hope encourage you today. I was going through some of our photos from a mission trip to New York City last summer and came upon this one taken from the fairy. We were standing there admiring the beauty of the sunset and I told one of our students to hold his hands apart like he was holding something small and fragile... a little closer... a little to the right... there!

Okay, so maybe this optical illusion won't make it onto a David Copperfield special or send the world into panic that I have successfully shrunk the Statue of Liberty. Obviously my friend's thumb can't possibly support this massive structure that so many have admired for so long. But before we leave this thought I want to remind you of our relationship with our Creator from Isaiah 40.
"You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!" See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him." (v.9-10)
When we struggle and stumble in our Chrisitan life we often lose sight of the greatest and simplest truths of our faith. He is your God and you are His own. We can study all the facts we know to be true of God but living it means moving beyond acknowledging these truths to walking in them daily. After all, God is beyond words huge or as our students often say, "ginormous". Read on...
"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. (Isaiah 40:12-15)
It should be clear now that we aren't in charge. God is running the show. He holds this massive cosmos and sustains it by His word. Which makes it even more amazing that He would choose you. The greatest joy that any human could ever experience is simply being in awe of the fact that this God wants us to know Him personally. He knows your name. For those in Christ, He has cleansed you from your sin and made you a new creation! He walks with you every moment of the day. Snuggled in the heart of verses teaching of how God is huge and powerful beyond our imaginations is verse 11, which should render us speechless.
"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; He gently leads those that have young."
The same one who spoke creation into existence and has power and wisdom beyond what our fragile minds can comprehend carries us in His arms... close to His heart... here is your God.