Isaiah 40:6-8 – A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 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.
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It is good for us to remember what lasts. When I was younger, I often got wrapped up in my current situation as though it would never end. During elementary school or high school, I can remember thinking of the little world that I was in as though it would continue forever. In college, I thought just how silly that school aged child was, as college was what seemed to go on forever. And with each stage of life, it is difficult to picture that stage coming to an end.
But as we hear the words of God in Isaiah, we are reminded that the lives of men, in comparison to the eternity of God, are like grass. They spring up. They flourish for a day. And, when all is said and done, they die and fade away. Our lives are short. Our time on this earth is very temporary. What is 70 years in the light of eternity? It is as nothing.
In comparison to our short lives, God shows us one thing that will last. In comparison to the brevity of life, one thing is rock solid, never fading, always here. The word of the LORD will stand forever.
Today, remember that the lives of men are brief little spans, but the word of the LORD stands forever. So many people throughout history have thought that they would do away with the notion of the word of God. Many thought they could put away the Bible, disprove it, or otherwise show it to be invalid and useless. However, all such men have come and gone. Many of their names are not remembered at all. But the word of God still stands. When you become worried about how certain arrogant people in the world attempt to attack the word of God, remember that God’s word will stand forever, far longer than the teeny little life span that we have.
And, when you think of the word of God standing forever, remember that the forever word of God is what you must cling to in order to have some stability in life. When your emotions, circumstances, and surroundings threaten your stability or even your faith, it is in the word of God that you will find an anchor to get you through life’s storms. You can not turn to your own intellect to solve all your problems, because your mind fades like the grass of the fields. You can not turn to your own emotional stability to keep yourself headed in the right direction, because your emotions change with the chemistry of your body, with the weather, or with any other thing you can think of. You can not turn to the counsel of others and expect that will keep you always headed in the right direction, because the word of God itself is full of stories about how men steered others wrong. If you want true stability, true long-lasting hope, you must cling to the thing that God gives to us that he tells us will stand forever. You must cling to, treasure, read, study, and meditate upon the word of God.
Dear Lord, I again thank you for your word. While my life will pass very quickly in the scheme of eternity, your word will stand forever. While I will not likely be remembered in a couple of generations, your word will be as strong, steady, and influential as it was when you first gave it to your people. Please help me to cling to you and to your word through this life. Let me not grasp at the weak, shifting, and temporary supports that others may offer. Instead, let me find your love and your will in your word. Let me come to know you through your word. Let me find stability and strength in your word. I thank you for your word, and I ask that you will continue to reveal yourself to me in that wonderful book.
Pastor Travis Peterson 