“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. . . The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6b, 8, NIV)
In the spring of each year, we are reminded of the splendor of nature as lawns and fields green-up; and flowers add bright colors to every scene. It is wonderful to behold, but we know it lasts only for a season — even if it is repeated next spring.
Isaiah reminds us that we, too, are like the grass and the flowers: Magnificent in many ways, but also fleeting. In the context of more than 6,000 years of recorded history, our singular 70 or 80 years of life is less than a dim spark.
Isaiah also reminds us that though we are less than a vapor, God’s word endures for all of time and eternity. If we desire any permanence in what we do or say, it must be enveloped in — and consistent with — God’s word. Such consistency comes only through the reading and the heeding of scripture. – Luther