11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities.
This verse in the New Testament ties back to verses in Isaiah in the Old Testament:
6 A voice was saying, “Cry out!”
Another said, “What should I cry out?”
“All humanity is grass,
and all its goodness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flowers fade
when the breath of the Lord blows on them;
indeed, the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flowers fade,
but the word of our God remains forever.”
When I study God’s word, and discover, such beautiful illustrations that can translate to my own life, I am truly in awe! Verse 7, says that all humanity is grass, (you and me) and that our goodness is like the flowers of the field. We wither, our goodness fades because mankind is only temporary, but The Word of the Lord remains forever!
James compares this to a rich man (doesn’t have to be financial, it is an attitude) that withers away while pursuing his own agenda. The only thing that lasts forever is our relationship with Christ. Daily, let’s pursue goodness through Christ.
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 1:11). (Isa 40:6-8). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
