FLESH IS FRAGILE

When tragedies like the earthquake in Nepal occur, it causes me to ponder how fragile this life in the flesh is.  Thousands of people whose lives were snuffed out in a moment; thousands of people injured; thousands of people who were affected in some devastating way, all in an instant. My normal little daily concerns seem petty in contrast.  The age old question arises in my mind; what is this life all about?

“All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord

blows on it; Surely people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower         fades, but the word of God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

I just noticed that these verses follow the announcement used by John the Baptist when he was telling people about the coming of Jesus, God in the flesh.  Jesus was only here in the flesh for about thirty-three years; yet he stands as the Word of God forever.

I watch the tulips in my yard rise and fall; they bloom, die, and rise again year after year.  I can read about why and how that happens, but do I really know?  People try so hard to know and understand things that are not knowable or understandable, but in the end they only know theories. In a split second an earthquake occurs and while there are those who say they can explain it, they are powerless to stop it.  Nature is one of God’s mysteries that keeps me humble before Him.

Mount Everest, the earth’s highest mountain, has become a symbol of human conquest. This most recent event put that symbol in proper perspective in a matter of minutes.  Why do we feel we have to conquest God’s creation; nature or human? God and His creation were not meant to be challenged and conquered; they were meant to be delighted in.  What is life all about?  For me it is to be filled with awe and delight as I live in the mysteries of God.

God did not cause this tragedy; it was an act of nature.  Scientists are now saying they knew this would happen.  But with all their knowing and understanding they could do nothing to control it or stop it from happening.  All their knowledge and understanding simply brought them face to face with the unconquerable mystery of God’s creative power.

My heart is sad and my mind is numb in the light of this tragic event.  But I believe that God is God, and while my flesh will wither and fade, and the mountains will someday tumble and fall, His Word will stand forever.  My life here in the flesh is temporary, fragile, and fleeting.  My life in the Spirit will be forever.

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