The prophet Isaiah made a momentous statement: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa 40:8, ESV).
It is of interest to note the immediate context of this statement. Before affirming that the Word of God stands forever, Isaiah compares “all flesh” with “grass” (40:6) and underlines once more, “Surely the people are grass” (40:7). How long-lasting is grass or a flower? And yet a great number of people today rely on the human flesh, on grass, rather than put their trust in the only dependable foundation: the Word of God.
Everything around us changes. The only unchangeable reality is God Himself and His Word. The Bible expresses this in very clear words: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8, ESV). These words are placed in the context of an invitation not to rely on “strange teachings,” but rather to trust and have faith in the Word of God! (See 13:7, 9). “The truth of God is not changeable, uncertain, and powerless. It is truth presented in its purity that alone can convict and convert the sinner and turn him from the error of his ways. The word of God is the only fixed, changeless thing that the world knows. Like its Author in character, it is ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever.’”1
We have the choice: a solid, everlasting rock or ever-changing human theories and philosophies? There is only one unchangeable, immovable, solid foundation: God and His Word! Everything else is comparable with the grass that withers and fades.
THERE IS ONLY ONE UNCHANGEABLE, IMMOVABLE, SOLID FOUNDATION: GOD AND HIS WORD!
Throughout history there have been many attempts to destroy the Word of God and even get rid of God Himself. The atheistic regime of the former Soviet Union tried to do it throughout its entire history. For seventy years the main agenda was to “liberate” the Soviet society from God, His Word, and His followers. To achieve this goal, the leaders of the Communist Party destroyed churches and religious literature. They ridiculed and harassed everyone who dared to have their own opinion about God and religion. Many faithful Christians were incarcerated and executed. Believers were often arrested and put in prison just for the simple fact that they owned a Bible and read the Word of God! Many sacrificed their lives for daring to believe in God and share their convictions. It is estimated that over twenty million Christians were martyred in the Soviet prison camps.2 “The punishment for being a Christian in the Soviet Union was just as severe as the punishment for murder.”3 The Communist leadership that was planning to establish heaven on earth without God saw in Him the greatest obstacle in achieving their goals and dreams. This was the reason for the war against Christianity.
In those seventy years, it sometimes looked as if the Communists were winning the war. It seemed that the only firm and unchangeable thing was the Communist Party itself. Almost no one, even in their wildest dreams, could see that one day the Soviet regime would wither and fade like grass and the Word of God would be preached in the very palaces of the Communist Party where their leaders announced death to God and His followers. However, those trusting the Word of God, even while being murdered, knew they were standing on the only firm foundation. The Lord allowed many Christians in those prison camps to go through experiences in order to see foretastes of the ultimate victory of His everlasting and unshakable Word.
THE LORD ALLOWED MANY CHRISTIANS IN THOSE PRISON CAMPS TO GO THROUGH EXPERIENCES IN ORDER TO SEE FORETASTES OF THE ULTIMATE VICTORY OF HIS EVERLASTING AND UNSHAKABLE WORD.
A story is told of a Christian who was sentenced for his belief and trust in God to serve until his death in a prison camp in the very cold region of Russian Siberia. He was placed in a camp far away from any civilization and made to cut wood in the forest. The camp was surrounded on three sides by an impenetrable forest full of wild animals, and in the front of the camp was a river. The head of the prison mocked, sneered, and made fun of the believer. One day someone reported to the warden that there are some fun stories in the book that the believer calls the Word of God. They reported to him a New Testament story describing Jesus walking on the sea. The head of the prison camp asked the Christian if he believed that the amusing story of someone walking on water was the truth. The believer confirmed his strong belief in the Word of God. The head of the prison responded, “How in the world can you believe this garbage? And for these tales you are willing to destroy your life?” The believer continued witnessing that the Bible is not a compilation of hilarious tales, but the Word of a living and all-powerful God. The head of the prison determined they would test it: “In front of our camp there is a river. If your God is truly alive and this book represents Him, then go out and walk on the water through the river. If you are able to walk on water, then your God is a reality, and His Word is true. If you walk on water, you will be released from the prison. However, if you cannot prove the reality of God and are not able to walk on the water, we will make your life as miserable as we can until you rot.”
The believer asked for three days to be given him before attempting to walk on water. He spent the three days in fasting and prayer. After the three days were over, the head of the prison gathered all the prisoners and all the guards in front of the river. His goal was to demonstrate to all that God was dead and His Word was nothing more than a funny collection of jokes. He ordered the believer to start walking on the river. The believer came closer to the river and, kneeling down, spoke one more prayer. As he was still praying, he suddenly saw something like a bridge going through the river. He stood up and started walking through the river as if simply walking on a bridge.
The camp became dead silent. All the laughing and mocking suddenly stopped. They all witnessed the presence of a God who is alive and all-powerful. That day many prisoners, and even the head of the prison camp, became believers.
Even if the miracle had not happened at that time and our believer continued to be ridiculed and harassed, he would still have stood strong on the Word of God as the only foundation. Why? Because he knew Jesus personally! Since he had already experienced the power of the Word in his life, he was willing to sacrifice everything for his Master—even life itself!
We all remember the response of the three young men to king Nebuchadnezzar: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Dan 3:17–18, ESV).
“OUR GOD WHOM WE SERVE IS ABLE TO DELIVER US FROM THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE, AND HE WILL DELIVER US OUT OF YOUR HAND, O KING. BUT IF NOT, BE IT KNOWN TO YOU, O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS OR WORSHIP THE GOLDEN IMAGE THAT YOU HAVE SET UP.” DAN 3:17–18, ESV
When we think about the millions of martyrs who faithfully witnessed and followed the Word of God even to death, the question arises: Why do so many of us today give up so easily our trust in the Word of God and instead follow human ideas and philosophies? Why do we so easily exchange the everlasting Word of God for grass that withers and disappears so quickly? Could it be that we have forgotten how to dig deep into the Word? Forgotten how to drink from the only Source of living water? Forgotten how to preach a sermon that presents not simply human ideas, but allows the Word of God to speak for itself and demonstrate its beauty and power? Have we tested the magnificence of the Word? Once we have tasted it, no other source will ever satisfy our thirst!
What we as a church need most urgently today is to return back to the Word of God! Let us remain or become “people of the Book, people of the Bible.” And let us permit the Holy Spirit not only to refresh our desire for the Word, but also to guide us in the process of studying, researching, applying, and obeying the everlasting Word of God.
Let us never forget: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever!”
1 Ellen G. White, The Bible Echo, May 28, 1894, para. 1.
2 https://mcgrath.nd.edu/assets/84231/the_demographics_ of_christian_martyrdom_todd_johnson.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2021.
3 Alexandra Heywood, “God in the Gulag: Christianity’s Survival in Soviet Russia,” The Dartmouth Apologia 5, no. 1 (Winter 2011), http://augustinecollective.org/god-in-thegulag-christianitys-survival-in-soviet-russia/. Accessed July 6, 2021.
Artur A. Stele, PhD, is a general vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
