...for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23-25)
The Enduring Word of Comfort
Not only did Isaiah speak of an everlasting comfort, Isaiah spoke of the everlasting Word of God. When all other claims to truth have had their say, the Word of God will stand alone in the end. Everything else changes; philosophies come and go, but God’s Word remains the abiding Truth.
The lie of the Nazi’s came and died. The lie of godless communism came and died. One of the training areas for a Russian mission team was the Hotel Gorbachev. In the convention room, the team held worship services with the backdrop of a huge mural with pictures of Marx, Lenin and the other communist leaders who had denigrated the Christian faith and the Word of God. But now communism has fallen. And in the same place young communists were trained on the tenets of atheism, Christians are now worshiping together and being trained in evangelistic techniques — at the invitation of the Russian government.
Not all that long ago, many philosophers and theologians were saying that God was dead, and predicting the death of the church. Today almost no one can remember the names of those who made those predictions, let alone the titles of their books, but the church of Jesus Christ is thriving and God is still very much alive.
A young musician once went to see his old music teacher. During the visit, his elderly mentor took a tuning fork and struck it on the end of the table. He said. “That is ‘A.’” From the floor above them they could hear the voice of a singer rehearsing. “She sings sharp,” the old teacher said with a smile. He struck the tuning fork again and paused as he lifted it and said, “She is sharp, but this ‘A’ — always has been, always will be — 440 vibrations per second. It will still be ‘A’ 5,000 years from now.”
This is God’s Word. It was God’s Word yesterday; it is God’s Word today, and it will be God’s Word 5000 years from now. Kingdoms will rise and fall. Ideas will come and go. The values of the world will change, but God’s Word will remain the one constant in a world of change and confusion.
Isaiah told of an everlasting comfort, and he told of the everlasting Word of God. Even the young were beaten down, weary and defeated. But those who placed their hope and trust in God did not lose heart, and they did not lose strength — regardless of their age. Their hearts and minds soared as they thought about what God was going to do. As new strength and courage entered their hearts it began to affect their bodies. They gained a new enthusiasm for life and a new strength to go on. But you never gain that strength unless you are willing to wait on the Lord.
Scripture to Claim:
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:28-31
