God's Beauty Never Fades

 

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and wit is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:15-19 ESV)

 

Our reading today uses the example of flowers in a field to describe how short our life is. Wildflowers are beautiful, but they last for just a season, and some of them bloom for only a day. The picture I’ve attached was taken on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. You may remember the photo from yesterday of a trail I took away from the spot where this photo was taken. It was a beautiful view of the Smokies. In the center of the picture toward the bottom are several goldenrod blooming. Their beautiful golden flowers give it their name.

 

Goldenrod is abundant in the Great Smoky Mountains, with several species found throughout the park. One notable species, the Blue Ridge Goldenrod, is a federally threatened plant that thrives in high-elevation, rocky areas. The flowers pictured here are the more common Skunk Goldenrod, so named because of its strong, offensive odor. They are beautiful, but not suitable in a floral arrangement! All goldenrods bloom from late summer to early fall. Goldenrods can support up to 116 species of moth and butterfly, who lay their eggs on the goldenrod leaves, knowing them to be a great food source for the caterpillars who soon hatch out. These caterpillars are the primary food source for nesting songbirds, some of whom require 5,000 caterpillars to raise a clutch of baby birds, making some 1,500 trips a day to gather food for their young. Their beauty is much more than “skin-deep”!

 

Their lifespan is very brief, but essential. It reminds me of our own brevity on earth. In the grand scope of the universe, human life is also brief. Compared to the age of our planet, a human life of even a hundred years seems short. Knowing this brings us to an essential truth. Even though our lives have value and beauty, our bodies will eventually die. This can feel frightening to us. It can make us feel insignificant, and it shows us we have no control over the circumstances of our own death or when it will come.

 

But our reading today assures us that we can place our hope in God, who created us and watches over our lives. “From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him.” This promised love will last longer than we could imagine. The beauty of our lives will fade, but the beauty of God’s care, protection, and love for us will last forever!