Make a difference – Day 17

“For, all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord stands forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25

Aren’t these words a true image of the cycle of life on earth, against the backdrop of the firm and sure foundation for eternity?

These words of Isaiah speak of a most profound and valuable treasure – God’s word. It alone has lasting worth and everyone who holds fast to it will know the presence of the Lord in their lives, along with his strength, comfort, guidance, wisdom and inspiration.

Grass is common and grows in most places. More often than not, it needs to be watered and kept under control for it to serve its purpose, wherever it grows. It can be beautiful: some types being tall and stately, other kinds short and rich, some pure, well-watered and luxuriant, while others can be thin and scraggly; all grass can also be full of weeds, which then makes it look unsightly.

That could pretty much sum up people too! It doesn’t matter who we are or where we come from, we all have the same basic composition and the same fundamental needs, but each one has his own spirit created by God. Body, mind and spirit need to be balanced in order to thrive and find value in life, however, many people find this difficult. Solomon did too. He was a king of great wisdom, yet he found it difficult to be wise himself and lost the plot. He tried out everything in his attempt to find the meaning of life. By his own admission, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labour, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

In spite of having fabulous wealth, rich food and wine, lands and beautiful parks, and even a harem of 700 wives and 300 concubines, nothing satisfied him. Life was empty for him. He realised that despite his position of power, death awaited him just as it did the ordinary people and that all that he had built would be given to someone else. Life just didn’t make sense! “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 12:8)

Later, however, he drew a wise conclusion: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)