THURSDAY September 3, 2026

The Frailties of Man

... “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:24-25

Peter quoted from Isaiah 40:6-8, to help convey the frailty of man. He likened us to the lush, green grass and fragrant flowers that are so beautiful, but they both fade away so quickly. They only last for a short while––temporarily. Our earthly bodies are just as frail. As time passes, we fade away. Our lives are also temporary. The Bible tells us the truth of the matter: The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away (Psalm 90:10).

When we are first born, and as we grow, we begin to understand that our stay on earth is temporary––one day we are all going to die. However, those who are born again by God’s Spirit, know that when their mortal bodies die, their spirits will live forever in eternity. There is the hope that our bodies will be raised from the dead. Just as Jesus’ body was raised from the dead, the grave cannot hold our bodies, either. Consider the hope the Resurrection as you read 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-53:

The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.... Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In comparison to man’s earthly frailty, what is revealed as lasting? It is the Word of God that is lasting; it has endured over the centuries. How long does God’s Word endure? The Word of God endures forever.

...The Word of God is greater than heaven and earth, yea, greater than death and hell, for it forms part of the power of God, and endures everlastingly.
~Martin Luther~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!