Yesterday, as I was walking my dog Pal, I chatted with a neighbor, who said: “You know Gary, Southfork (our 55 community) can be a little depressing at times because every month someone dies”. Unfortunately, She is right.
Today, I saw the beautiful blue flower shown above and thought about the introductory comments of my NASB (1977) and its quote from Isaiah 40. This reminded me of a line of poetry ( from Keating ) quoted in the movie “Dead Poets Society” starring Robin Williams; “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may...”. The Isaiah passage says…
Isaiah 40 ( World English Bible )
1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
2 “Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh’s hand double for all her sins.”
3 The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain.
5 The glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”
6 The voice of one saying, “Cry!” One said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because Yahweh’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.”
Someday ( hopefully, quite some time from now ) we will die. Yes, that is a negative thought, but for a Christian that negativity is more than canceled by the knowledge that we will only die once and then live forever.
In the “Dead Poets Society” Robin Williams teaches his students something about the reality of life from the Latin phrase “Carpe diem”, which literally means – Seize the day. This is good advice, for both the Christian and others. Live as today were your last day on earth: SEIZE THE DAY! But, why stop with today? The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians and says…
2 Corinthians 6 ( WEB )
2 for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
God listens, he really cares and most of all he will save you from all your sins; obey his Gospel and be saved. At this point only one thing that needs to be said: SEIZE THE DAY!
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