“A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever’” (Isaiah 40:6-8). The longer I live, the greater the awareness grows within me of the brevity of life. I had a call from a friend yesterday about a man who recently started attending Bible study and services here at Highway. Ed developed a blood clot in his leg and had to go to the hospital. After receiving medication and rest for a couple of days, he was discharged on Thursday. On his way out of the hospital, he collapsed just inside the entrance doors. His heart stopped…he was gone! I am so grateful to have met Ed at the Love in Action ministry on Tuesday nights at City Hall. From our conversations and praying together, I was assured by Ed that he loved the Lord and had given his life to Christ. Our physical life on earth is compared to a breath in the Book of James. COVID-19 also reminds us that life is fragile. The best we can do in this brief speck of time is to love and follow Jesus! Make your plans in the light of seeking God’s will, remembering the words of James: “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (4:14). Also, may the Lord help us not to be intimidated by those who confidently ignore God. Many today mock the idea of serving God and look at Christians as hopelessly “outdated” and out of touch. Try to picture them as you would the grass in a vacant lot. It can be long and very visible one day…and mowed down the next. Don’t be intimidated by people who pass away, but love and fear the Lord who holds eternity in His hands!

Pastor Mark Boucher