Scripture:  1 Peter 1:23-25

22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for

“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Observations:

The capacity to love come from the new birth we experience in Jesus.

The Word of God is not a perishable seed, it is an everlasting seed.  It is a living and abiding–taking up residence in our lives kind of seed.

The flesh withers like grass and its beauty fades.

BUT, the word of the Lord remains forever.  The Good News is the word preached, and it lasts forever.

Application:

A seed has incredible promise.  Right now I’m carrying around an acorn.  I’m able to look out my window and see the kind of tree it produces.  One seed. Over time. A massive tree–producing thousands of new seeds!  Years ago during university, my friends Jeff and Malea Glenn gave me an acorn as a reminder of what God and His Word can do in our lives.  I carried it around in my coat pocket for years.  Their simple gift gave me courage and hope to keep on trusting God and applying His Word in my life.

Life is short.  But the word of the Lord remains forever and what the Good News does in our lives lasts forever.  And here’s the amazing thing… the Word of God through Jesus is producing love in our relationships where we live, work, and play.

Life is short, so feed on the Word of God.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for this body, that is able to carrying around in it the new life secured for me at Jesus’ great expense!  Now may your Word produce the life of love you intended.  Thank you for the eternal life I have with you now.  Please give me wisdom to prioritize the passing demands of life with the eternal glory of life with you.  AMEN.