Isaiah 40

I was speaking this week with a woman who is struggling with cancer and for the moment, all is at an uneasy standstill concerning her illness.  Sometimes when things go quiet, our faith grows stronger because we lean more on the Lord and His will for our futures.  Nothing is certain...except that God is sitting on His throne, sovereign over all, for our good and His glory.
She quoted from Isaiah 40: vv. 7-8 "The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."
Surely the people are grass. And so we are.  It just so happened - (hmm, how many times have I said that?) - that today my bible reading was Isaiah 40 and when I read the words she had spoken to me just two nights ago, I attached her name to them.  She is like grass.  I am like grass, and so are you.
Chapter 40 goes on to speak of His greatness and power.
Of the rulers of the earth He says:

v. 24 "Scarcely are the planted, scarcely sown,

scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,

when he blows on them, and they wither, 

and the tempest carries them off like stubble."

(therefore, I will not worry about this year's election.)

Just when we think God does not see us or we feel 'disregarded' by Him, vv. 28 - 31 are written to encourage us:

 "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.  

 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;  

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40 is a wonderful, sweet reminder of Who God is and who we are.  We are all grass.  We will all wither.  It is God who does the blowing away and the renewing when we wait on Him.  None of us knows the number of our days, but we can be sure they are numbered.  
In the meamtime, I want to be like my friend who sees herself as grass, in service to the Creator Who never grows weary giving us the power to press on.