“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 color 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 flash.
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
