Isaiah 40:6-8 (NIV) 6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

Places to Base My Hope:

1. The enduring word of God for those who welcome it.

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV) 11 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. 

Places to Base My Hope:

2. The tender care of God toward his own.

Isaiah 40:12-15 12 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? 13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? 14 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? 15 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. 

Places to Base My Hope:

3. The matchless wisdom of God over all creation.

Isaiah 40:22b-24 22b He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 

Places to Base My Hope:

4. The sovereign power of God over all world systems.

Isaiah 40:25-26 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

“There is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence, of which Jesus Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘mine!’” - Abraham Kuyper

Places to Base My Hope:

5. The magnificent beauty of God’s design and order throughout all of creation.

Isaiah 40:27:31 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

When I Put My Hope in the Lord: 

• My strength is renewed.
• My endurance is expanded.
• My vision is clarified.
• My speed is increased.

OUR PRAYER OF THANKS

• GOD, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ETERNAL WORD, IT IS ALWAYS TRUE AND HELPFUL, I WILL PUT MY HOPE IN YOUR WORD.
• GOD, I THANK YOU THAT YOU LOVE ME DEEPLY, I WILL PUT MY HOPE IN YOU TENDER CARE.
• GOD, I THANK YOU FOR MATCHLESS WISDOM. I WILL PUT MY HOPE IN YOUR ABILITY TO ANSWER MY PRAYERS AS I ASK.
• GOD, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SOVEREIGN POWER. I WILL PUT MY HOPE IN YOUR PLAN FOR THE WORLD ABOVE ANY POLITICAL SYSTEM OR WORLD GOVERNMENT.
• GOD, I THANK YOU FOR THE DESIGN AND ORDER IN YOUR UNIVERSE. I WILL PUT MY HOPE IN YOUR EYE FOR CREATIVE DETAIL AND LOOK FOR YOUR WORK IN THE SMALL THINGS IN LIFE.