Carried by the Eternal: A Devotional on Isaiah 46:4-5

Finding Rest in God's Timeless Care

Scripture

Isaiah 46:4-5

“Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?” 

Reflection

Eternality, Transcendence, Mercy, and Grace: Four of the Divine attributes that flow from Isaiah’s inspired pen and into our hearts as we read.

Eternality: “even in your old age I am he…” to Dr. Who time may be viewed a “big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff” (Dr. Who – Blink TV episode 2007), but for us non-fictional mortals our lives transpire in a line – birth to death. We age, but even in our old age God IS. I realize this is not the same Hebrew language as used in Exodus 3, however I believe the truth is still firmly present here. We are bound by time; God is not subject to the procession of time. He is eternal.

Transcendence: “To whom will you liken me and make me equal…” God is distinct from all that He has created and thereby distinct from all things. There is no thing, and no one like Him.

Mercy & Grace:  “I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” Erickson makes a helpful distinction between mercy and grace when he writes, “If grace contemplates humans as sinful, guilty, and condemned, mercy sees them as miserable and needy.” (Christian Theology 3^rd Edition pg.266) We are reminded of both here. We are reminded of our neediness and our inability to arrive at our responsible end as it is God who will bear us up, it is God who will carry. What’s more, in this same phrase we have a seedling reminder of our need for grace for it is not only that we are helplessly in need of mercy, but we are lost and in need of saving grace. This is evidenced by Isaiah 46 addressing the fact that God’s people were in exile due to their rebellious idolatry. They were in their state in need of saving due to their own sin. 

Personally, as the stresses of work press in and God patiently reminds me that all these presently heavy events are subject to time, but He is not, and He will carry me through. That even though there are situations in life where I have responded in ways less than pleasing to Him, He will bear me up and He will graciously forgive and restore (aka save). The God to Whom nothing can be compared is my God! The God who is Eternal – the I AM – is my God! And my God is good! In Him and Him alone I rest.

Prayer

Gracious and Eternal Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

I lift my heart to You in gratitude and awe. You are not bound by time, nor are You shaken by the burdens that weigh heavily on me. Even as the rhythms of work press in and the days feel hurried, You remain unchanging, always present, always faithful.

Thank You, Father, for being eternal—before my days began and long after they end, You are. You carry me from birth to gray hairs, never letting go. You are the great I AM, and in Your everlasting arms, I find my rest.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your mercy and grace. In my failings and falterings—when my heart drifts or my actions miss the mark—You lift me up. You bore my sin and carry my soul, forgiving freely and restoring completely.

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for gently reminding me that my present troubles are passing shadows, but You abide. You lead me back to truth, whispering peace when I forget that my help comes not from within, but from the One who is beyond compare.

O God—sovereign, holy, and good—I worship You. You are my God, and there is none like You. I rest in You alone.

Amen.

Going Deeper

As you face the weight of responsibilities this week—whether in your work, family, or personal struggles—pause and ask: How am I viewing time? Do you see your current pressures as ultimate, or as temporary events under the sovereign hand of an eternal God?

• Reflect: In what situations have you responded in ways less than pleasing to God? Bring those moments honestly before Him.

• Rest: Meditate on the truth that God is not bound by time. He is not rushed or overwhelmed. He is eternal—and He will carry you.

• Rejoice: Confess the incomparable greatness of your God. Let that truth drive you to worship and rest in His mercy and grace.

Let this be the week where your theology turns into “practicology”—where deep truths about who God is reshape how you live, trust, and endure.

(FREE RESOURCE) If you would like a free small group discussion guide, you can download it HERE.

*This devotional was written by Daniel Pulliam, with some assistance from AI to help expand on the ideas and adapt it for this format.