UNDER PRESSURE â—½ YOU
Like Grass, but Not
by Debbie Haynes
The darker the days, the brighter His light shines.
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Do you find that to be true? And is that a happy message for you?
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Psalm 139:12 says,
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“Even the darkness is not dark to you, oh Lord,
and conceals nothing from you.”
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We live among darkness in this world and have to constantly battle it with the Word of God. That’s why He gave it to us! God’s word tells us multiple times how fleeting and fragile life on earth is, but that HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD.
One example of fragility is in II Kings, the story of King Hezekiah. He was a godly king and in the prime of his life when he became mortally ill. In fact, he was warned that he was to get his house in order because he would die and not live. Of course, King Hezekiah went immediately to prayer and wept bitterly, reminding God of how the king had walked in truth with a whole heart. And guess what? God heard the king’s prayer and granted him 15 years more to his life.
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Now, the story gets really interesting. King Hezekiah was granted a sign that he would be healed, so the king asked that the sun dial turn backward ten steps, and it did. The king was healed after receiving a dark message, as he prayed in faith and was granted healing. What a story!
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There are so many more scriptures concerning life and death:
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He himself knows our frame – he is mindful that we are but dust.
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As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field…
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The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
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The word of the Lord endures forever.
So what’s the takeaway from this king’s story and the verses about life and death in the Bible?
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Flesh means all people; no difference one to another, and our days are numbered on this earth.
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Don’t get too settled on this earth because this is not our home…there is a place far better.
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The lovingkindness of the Lord extends to those who fear him, and we are joined with him eternally.
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Though we are temporary, like the grass, the word of the Lord is forever. It never changes and never fails.
Maybe you’re thinking that this sounds depressing, as there is no hope in this fleeting world or anything connected to it. And yet, we are told in Hebrews 13 to keep on loving each other, be hospitable, honor our marriages and remain faithful, be thankful with what we have because…God is with us and will never leave us. We are to offer praise to God and never forget to do good and share with those in need.
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We have a hope that is everlasting, unchanging and full of promise to us…and to our children and their children! We are utterly dependent on Him for life and breath, for his leadership, and for eternity after the grass fades. We need only God, and He will lead us from here into His marvelous light.
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God sees our frame, He hears our prayers, He answers in ways that might surprise us all, and He offers us hope because He is the Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. That’s the message of hope!