The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in James 1:11,
"For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed."
James makes this observation about rich people. They should not take pride in the "high position" they have in this life as this life is going to fade away. The rich man will "pass away like a wild flower".
The reality is, of course, if we live long enough, we will all wither away in this life. This life is temporary, and in the scheme of things really is very short. When I was young, I felt that a life span of 60, 70 or 80 years was an eternity. Now that I'm in my 60's I realize how short a life span really is. The picture James paints for us, "the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant, its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed" is true not just for the rich folks, the people in Jame's cross-hairs, but for all of us. The destruction of beauty in my life is certainly not something I've lost any sleep over, no danger there for me. Nevertheless, like everyone else who has reached the prime of life, I look forward to the fading sunset of life as it winds down for me, as this life "withers the plant."
While this could be a very discouraging reality to face for many, for me it is a reminder that beyond the door of death awaits resurrection! All God intended for us for an eternity is waiting for all who trust in the Lord! Fullness of life, purposefulness in living life to the fullest, the hindrance of the sinful nature, its consequences, its ugliness and judgment, all left behind! Beauty, rapture in the immediacy of the Lord in our midst, eternal pleasures at his right hand (Psalm 16:11) will all be ours as we leave this life of a sinful world at enmity with God struggling under his judgment.
As my life under this sun fades like a wild flower, the excitement of all that will be ours in the resurrection springs from the hope that is ours: our certain eternal life that awaits us!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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