Thoughts for the Day

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to live in....

He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless...
and those 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.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In Victorian novels the poor beleaguered mistress of the house who's had enough of bearing children takes to her chaise-longue at the first sign of stress, and elegantly passes out, only to be woken rather briskly by her maid with sal volatile. This smelling salt is made up of ammonium carbonate mixed in water and has a quite horrible smell, so pity the poor woman.

The prophet Isaiah has a better idea for those who feel weak, whether that is mentally or physically. In these beautiful words above he gently lectures us all to remember that we don't need the equivalent of smelling salts when life goes wrong. Do we not know, he says, do we not realise, that the God who created our world, and who can 'weigh the mountains in scales', and who 'stretches out the heavens like a curtain', this God can revive us when we feel scared, or overwhelmed with pain, or confused by the things of this life. God can restore and renew us once more.

Question: Have you truly asked Him for help?

Almighty God,
Who rescues the fallen,
Who retrieves the lost,
Who sits with the prisoner,
Who guides the blind,
Who heals the sick,
Who comforts the mourner,
and Who suffers with the dying,
hear our prayer for all who need
Your help this day.
Amen.