Isaiah 51:6-8 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at
the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear
out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation
will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. "Hear me, you who
know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear
the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. For the moth
will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But
my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations."
Comment
The vanity of life and the insignificance of the suffering and mistreatment
we go through in this life is most clearly realized when we consider the
future. Even those who live but for this life have to come to realize that
it is inevitable that they will die. Why fear people? Why be concerned
what they think of you? Nothing can stop the future. And when the future
comes upon us much of the ideas and attitudes of this world would have
been found to be simply vanity, a passing cloud.
Matthew 10:28 Do not be
afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be
afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
This life lasts less then a century, who can imagine what "forever" is
like. God's salvation will last forever. It will never fail.