October 6
October 6
In a world where few things are permanent, the word of the Lord endures forever.
I bought Luella flowers for Easter. We love fresh flowers, and I buy them for her often, but this bouquet was different. At first glance, it looked like any other bouquet, but it was not. These flowers were real, but they lasted for a year. I don’t know what the process was, but these delicate flowers defied the laws of decay. You didn’t need to water them, but they stayed fresh for months. This is unusual for us, because we are used to the impermanence of fresh flowers. We’re used to stretching the life of a bouquet by taking out the dead blossoms and rearranging the rest, watching the bouquet get smaller until there are no live blossoms left.
Usually, flowers are a picture of what happens to just about everything in our lives. We are used to the impermanence of life. Things that seemed as though they would last forever end up wilting and dying. In fact, it is true that everything in this physical world is in the process of dying. In the face of all the impermanence of life, where do we look for stability? Where can we find security, something in life that will not pass away? Our marriage, job, children, friendships, or career can’t guarantee that foundational stability. Everyone looks for something permanent to build a life on, but most things fail us in the end.
In Matthew 24, Jesus lays out the signs of the end of the age. He reminds his followers that, although the world might seem permanent, everything in it will one day pass away. Even though we watch things fade and die all around us, the thought that everything will someday be completely gone is counterintuitive to most of us. We often live as though this life will last forever. Jesus warns his followers of the coming end. And in the middle of a list of signs of the end, Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). With these words, Jesus answers the question, “What can I build my life on that will never pass away?” Without a shade of doubt, Jesus declares the divine power, authority, and permanence of his words. They will never fail you, they will never prove to be untrue, they will never be out of place, they will never grow old, and they will never pass away. A thousand years into eternity, the words of the Lord will still stand.
Many of us have lost precious things. Many of us have suffered the passing of beloved people. Many of us have faced the disappointment of losing things that we thought would last. Many of us have faced the death of our dreams or the demise of things we had hoped in. But there is a place of rest for your soul and a sure foundation upon which you can build: the word of the Lord. His words last forever.