All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. –Isaiah 40:6-8
A great thing about walking into any Target store is that they all look the same. The aisles, the checkout stands, the greeting cards, home goods, electronics departments all have a familiar look and set-up to them. It makes it really easy to navigate and get around. They are consistent; so, I always know what to expect.
While oftentimes I like to spice things up a bit and do things differently, I appreciate certain things in life that basically remain the same. No matter where I travel in the US, all stop signs are red octagons. So even if I am coming from the other direction and cannot see the words “stop,” I still know what is expected of the other driver coming my way. Anyone who drives knows the difference between a double yellow line and a dashed line. These common rules of the road help us drive safely.
When I lived in Nigeria, the roads were basically everyone for themselves. Lines didn’t matter and there was no guarantee that even if you had a green light someone wouldn’t come through the opposite red. It was chaos!
In terms of guiding our lives, there is truly only one thing we can rely on that will never change: the Word of God. There might be different versions, but all words point back to the same meaning. We can rely fully on a never-changing God. When things get crazy and unpredictable around us, when doubt starts to creep in, when there is controversy between individuals and even denominations, God’s Word remains unchanging, allowing us to rely on it for truth and direction.
The Scripture also compares us to the grass and flowers in the field, promising that we too will fade. Our lives here will fade and end, so the message is clear: cling to the Word of God and His promises so that you too will stand forever.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where in your life have you appreciated consistency? Why is it so important to be able to trust that the Bible is unchanging?
2. What does the Scripture mean, “all men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field”? How do you work now to store up eternal treasures in heaven?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 5:33-37; John 1:1-3; 1 Peter 1:22-25