1 Peter 1:24-25

NASB – 24 For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory is like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.

NRSVUE – 24 For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” That word is the good news that was announced to you.

VOICE – 24 For as Isaiah said, “All life is like the grass, and its glory like a flower; The grass will wither and die, and the flower falls, 25 But the word of the Lord will endure forever.” This is the word that has been preached to you.

The Frail Human

Peter is showing that our new life in Christ is extremely different from our regular physical life. He quotes Isaiah 40:6-8, where Israel found security and strength with God. Human things like beauty, power, achievement, and reputation are just temporary in this word. Even the most precious thing in our world will fade when it comes to God’s majesty and faithfulness. Death happens to all of us, but God’s word will last for all time.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do you look at your own mortality in the midst of our world?

Making the Most of Our Time

It’s important that we recognize that all the things we do in our life is temporary in the scale of the long-term history of our world. This is an uncomfortable thing to sit with, because it can make it feel fruitless and meaningless to do anything in this world. Why do anything if none of it will last? I think this verse loses the intention upon what Isaiah and Peter were trying to suggest.

As I’ll talk about in a moment, God’s word lasts forever. The teachings and commands of God will creating a sustainable reality for all generations across the globe. These things will bring down unity, community, compassion, and justice to the world in an attempt to reflect what the Kingdom of God looks like. The call to recognize that our lives will be temporary moments of the world is to showcase that we need to make sure we utilize the short time that we have here to the best of our ability. We are called to be God’s hands and feet to all parts of the world. Are our current actions reflecting His love and justice? Is the direction of the communities we’re apart of leading us to a reflection of God’s kingdom? If the answer is no, then we have reflecting to do. We must ensure the our actions leave the world in a better place than we found it for the next generation. Whether it’s legislation, outreach efforts, just systems, or simply strengthening our communities – our actions need to reflect God’s love and justice at the end of the day.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can we ensure we make the most of the time we have on earth?

Eternal Timing of God’s Promises

As I mentioned, our strength, beauty, achievements, and the things of the world are temporary. Israel heard these words from Isaiah and received assurance that the promises of God would remain despite human power. The same promises and power they receives are ones we can lean on through Jesus, for Jesus became the human embodiment of what God’s word is about. The transformation Christians receive through hearing the message of the Gospel and believing in that message is what provides the eternal promises of God.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What promises of God have you heard? How do you see them in our world today?

The Promise of Victory

When life gets to be overwhelming and too much to manage, we tend to forget about God. Most of us don’t do this out of ill-intent. Our bodies shift to fight-or-flight mode that ignites our focus on survival. Our bodies protect our vital organs and our mind gets aware of any dangers that could be surrounding us. Sometimes, these systems get stuck in an “on” position creates more distress in people, which is something I struggle with through my anxiety disorder. In spite of that though, I find grounding in God.

I’m not saying that my relationship with God alone defeats my anxiety. It helps, but God has also guided me to many different therapists along my journey. God has also guided me to different medications and practices that have helped in the different seasons I’ve walked through. What helps on a grander image of things is this: God wins in the end. God does see victory over all the moments of trials and strife. With that eternal promise, I know I have the ability to overcome whatever battles are in front of me. It may not be easy. In fact, Jesus tells his disciples that His way of life will not be easy (John 16:33). Yet, we will find peace and refuge in the world. God will grant us the peace to have a calm in the middle of the chaos. To pull us out of hypervigilence and rest in knowing that God will guide us to victory. It will be through His strength, His wisdom, and His guidance. It will be through our faith in Him that these things will be imbued within us thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit. May we start to lean on that over trying to handle things ourselves.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How does the promise of God’s victory bring comfort during the trials that you may face?

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