“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 40:8

Just this morning, I was gazing out of our kitchen window, watching the first signs of autumn in our backyard. The leaves on our Spanish Oak trees are just beginning to turn. The grass that had greened up after a recent rain is starting to look more like straw as the days get shorter and the nights get colder. There are a few wildflowers left, but most have disappeared, asleep until the warmth of spring awakens them.

The transitory beauty of natural flora contrasts with the permanence of God’s word, according to Isaiah 40:8. Though grass withers and flowers fade, God’s word endures. His promises are secure. What he says, he will do. Thus we can put our trust in God’s word, confident that it will always be there to guide 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. 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. His word will never let us down.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: 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?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, today I’m reminded about the transitory nature of life. I see it out my back window. I feel it in my own body. And I read it in Scripture. The things of this world won’t last, but you will.

O Lord, help me to enjoy the rich blessings of this life, including the greenness of the grass and the brightness of the flowers. But may I not put my confidence in that which will not last. Help me to know your word, to meditate upon it, and to trust it. Thank you for the simple truth that your word stands forever. Amen.