Isaiah 40:15

Isaiah 40:15 says, Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.  Isaiah said that to God the people of any nation, no matter how powerful, were like a drop in a bucket or the dust of the earth.  We may think nations today are very powerful, but they are nothing compared to God, and as followers of Christ, He is our source of power.  There will never be anyone who can overpower Him.  

Verse sixteen adds, And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.  Isaiah said that all the sacrifices that the people might offer would add nothing to God.  Whatever we may offer to God today can add nothing to Who He is.  God does not accept us because of anything we can give Him, but He accepts us because of what He gave us, which is forgiveness from our sins by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Verse seventeen continues, All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.  Isaiah then returns to the fact that all nations combined are nothing in power before God.  God created it all and He can easily destroy it all, so we should be thankful that He thinks enough of people who failed Him to provide a way for them to be redeemed instead of just destroying us. 

Verse eighteen states, To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?  Isaiah then asks what image, or idol, men could make that would compare to God.  The answer then and now is that there is not one.  This includes us as individuals.  We should never attempt to put ourselves on the same level as God.  Golden images may look pretty, but they are nothing compared to God. 

Verse nineteen adds, The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.  Isaiah said that the workman made these graven images and overlaid them with gold, but they were still just manmade things.  Anything that we worship more than God is powerless to help us. 

Verse twenty concludes, He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.  Isaiah said that those who made the images or idols attempted to make sure that they could not be moved, but anything that stands between God and us will one day be removed no matter how well rooted it may be.