The Word of God Will Stand Forever
Scripture — Isaiah 40:8 (NRSV)
The grass withers; the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
Focus
In a culture permeated by cynicism, it’s hard to trust anyone or anything. So often that in which we put our confidence fails like withering grass. According to Isaiah 40, however, “the word of our God will stand forever.” We can put our trust in God’s truth, allowing it to guide all that we do in life.
Devotion
It’s harder and harder to trust these days. Partly, this is due to the epidemic of cynicism that plagues our society. But our cynicism comes as the institutions and individuals we once counted on turn out to be untrustworthy. Yet, even in our cynical age, there is something in us that looks, even yearns for something truly reliable, something that we can truly count on.
Isaiah 40:8 identifies this “something.” It is the “word of our God,” that which will “stand forever.” The divine word contrasts with the transitory character of nature. In the right season and especially after a rain, grass looks brilliantly green. But in a time of drought or during winter, grass withers, turning straw-like and apparently lifeless. The same is true of flowers. They may look gorgeous, but before long they fall to the ground and lose their colorful beauty.
The word of God is not like this. It endures. God’s proclamations can be trusted. God’s promises are secure. What God says, God will do. Thus, we can put our trust in God’s word, confident that it will always be there to guide every facet of our lives.
In times of financial uncertainty, we can see our investments withering. The good health of our loved ones, and even of ourselves, will ultimately fade. Trusted institutions will falter or fail. People will let us down. That which we most love in this world won’t last, no matter how good it might be. Yet God will always be there for us. God’s word will never let us down. It is something we can really count on.
Reflect
How have you recently experienced the withering and fading of life?
Are you tempted to put your confidence in things that don’t last?
What helps you to trust God’s word as revealed in Scripture?
Act
Think about how God’s word in Scripture informs your daily work and leadership.
Pray
Gracious God, today we’re reminded about the transitory nature of life. We see it in the natural world around us. We feel it in our own bodies. And we read it in Scripture. The things of this world won’t last, but you will. And your word will.
O Lord, help us to enjoy the rich blessings of this life, including the greenness of the grass and the brightness of the flowers. But may we not put our confidence in that which will not last. Help us to know your word, to meditate upon it, and to trust it. Thank you for the simple truth that your word stands forever. Amen.
Banner image by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Some Things Deserve to Be Repeated.
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Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...