For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:24,25
I once took an entire day and just walked around Disney World by myself. I wasn’t there to make a memory with my family. No, I went for a much different purpose. Walking in with one of those large, legal pads and a couple of pens, I was there to look and learn. I wanted to see all the ways that they did things to help people enjoy themselves. To make it "The Most Magical Place On Earth."
One of the side things that came out of this day was a list of jobs that I’d like to do at Disney World. After easily crossing off those jobs that would just drive me crazy, I found a number of then that I thought would be fun. But then I thought, the list quickly shrank.
And then it hit me. What’s the one job that I’m made for? What do I like to do more than anything else? What job would just light my cannon, making me show up early and staying late every day? That best of all possible jobs would be to a greeter at Disney World theme park.
Whether it was in the parking lot, front gate, standing near an attraction, or just roaming around looking to help, this is my dream job. Someone else can handle the food or operate a ride. Others can be in a parade or walk around in a costume. Me, I just want to help people.
And a big part of helping people is showing them how to have a great day. Where to have the best time. What rides would be good for them. Avoiding long lines. Best places for lunch. Tips for keeping cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Staying dry in the rain.
And while Disney World didn’t exist in the first century, this is exactly what the Apostle Peter is trying to do. He wants to help his fellow travelers on this earth. Like him, they were under the gun. Life wasn’t great. There was pressure and persecution for just believing in Jesus as the savior of the world.
So, when it comes to giving not just good advice, but great advice, Peter starts right at the top. He pulls out all the stops and gives them the best possible thing to do that will help them walk through this time of pain and persecution.
Now it was me, I’d show them how to move around town without being noticed. There would be five sure-fire tips about using the internet without leaving a trail for others to find you. Where they should do their shopping and not be seen.
But the good news is that Peter’s a whole lot smarter and wiser than I am. You see, my advice would be good, but then it wouldn’t. My tips and techniques would be helpful for a while, but then things change. What used to work, wouldn’t. Eventually, my pearls of wisdom would become yesterday’s newspaper that you can wrap fish in.
Peter’s advice doesn’t just last for the latest news cycle. His endures. It hangs around. It stays right where it is. Things and stuff can come and go, but not what Peter tells these desperate people.
Instead of telling them something that’s going to just make them feel a little bit better for a little while, he gives them something that they can count on. Something that they can base their life on. Something that’s never going to disappoint. Peter points them back to God and what he’s said.
When Peter says that the word of the Lord endures forever, he’s not talking about something that was true in the past and somehow doesn’t apply now. It’s not like the Lord’s word was true for a while and somehow faded out of favor. It just didn’t work any longer.
God’s kind of word has doesn’t have one of those “shelf life” warnings printed on it. You know, the ones that tell us to buy before a certain date. There’s no “Best if used by” sticker to tell us that we better get a move on and use it before it goes stale. Or worse yet, goes bad.
As I look back on my life, there have been so many things I believed in. I took them in, hook, line, and sinker. Things that people I trusted and admired told me were true, only to be disappointed in the end. They were really excited and convincing as they explain the way to peace and happiness in this life.
Then, one day, someone told me about God’s word. How the word of the Lord was special and that it never changed. When they explained what the word of the Lord said, they always made it clear that it wasn’t their thoughts and opinions, but it came from a much higher authority. But the thing that really blew me away was they told me not to just believe them. I needed to check it out. The only way to prove it was to do it for myself.
While trusted teachers and books are great, we need to look at the word of the Lord for ourselves. I’m all for listening to great messages and teaching. I’ve got a personal collection of videos that I refer to. But here’s no shortcut. Yes, an app might help you find things easily, but we have to check it out for ourselves. That’s what Peter is telling these poor people in pain. It’s what we all need to do for ourselves too.
Noodling Questions
List three jobs at Disney World that you’d like to do.
Describe how God’s lasting word makes you feel.
What things are you willing to do to check out God and his promises?
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