The Word We Need for Fleeting Days
LESLIE DALLAS, COMPEL Pro Member
Lee en español
“And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:7b-8 (NLT)
“Mom, how many years are in 30 decades?”
This was my daughter’s math question the other day. I reminded her a decade is 10 years, and she did the math from there.
Then that simple math problem got me pondering. When I was my daughter’s age, 30 decades might as well have been an eternity. But not anymore. As my 40th birthday approaches, it doesn’t seem possible that my 30s are already in the rearview. A decade can come and go just like that.
Even for people who are blessed to see old age, nine or 10 decades is the most we’ll get. That’s why reminders of life’s brevity are woven throughout the Bible:
“… People are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:6-8, NLT).
Here Isaiah was giving the people of Judah a word of comfort. He compared them to grass and flowers, which are here in splendor for a season and then disappear. That doesn’t sound too comforting, does it? But notice what does stand forever: “the word of our God.”
God’s Word is true and enduring. It was written through His divine inspiration and preserved under His watchful eye. It is the comfort and security our souls need. And the brevity of our earthly lives compared to the permanence of God’s Word reminds us how we should be investing these precious days the Lord has given.
I often find myself like a pendulum swinging between two extremes: either mourning time’s quick passage or acting as if I had all the time in the world. But we’re not meant to live in either of these spaces. Instead, we’re to be intentional with the time we have.
It’s easy to waste precious time when I’m tempted to reach for my phone and scroll more moments away. But what my soul needs is not more distraction — it’s time in God’s Word. I need His Word to realign my priorities and center my heart on the One I was created to pursue. It reminds me to live out His purposes for my fleeting days.
There’s wisdom in remembering the brevity of life (Psalm 90:12). Let’s stay in the Word, friends. Study it. Meditate on it. Let it change us. Let it show us the heart of God. We won’t get 30 decades on earth, but God has a plan for the years we have. May we look back on each one knowing we invested our lives in the Word that stands forever.
Lord, it’s so easy to forget life is brief. Please help me to keep that truth in mind. Today I will have countless choices to make with my time. I need You to show me how to choose wisely, starting with spending time in Your timeless Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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ENGAGE
Today’s devotion writer, Leslie Dallas, is a COMPEL Pro member and a winner of the annual Encouragement for Today Devotion Writing Challenge. To find out more about COMPEL Pro’s writing challenges and how to become a member today, click here.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (NLT).
Psalm 119:37, “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word" (NLT).
Is there anything you feel the Lord might be gently calling you to spend less time on so you can spend more time in His Word? Would you share it in the comments? It might just encourage someone to see they’re not alone.
© 2025 by Leslie Dallas. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Friday, 28 November 2025.
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