Five Minutes Daily with Luther - June 20

(Reprinted with permission from Five Minutes Daily with Luther: Daily Lessons from the Writings of Martin Luther, by John Theodore Mueller.)

For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ABIDES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That which is flesh and blood is corruptible, like the grass which is yet green, so that it blooms; so whatever is rich, strong, wise, and fair, and thus is flourishing (which all belongs to the bloom), yet you observe its bloom wither; what was young and vigorous will become old and ugly; what is rich will become poor, and the like. And all must fall by the Word of God. But this seed cannot perish. Peter concludes: And this is the word which was preached to you. As though he would say, you are not to look far in order to reach the Word of God; you have it before your eyes; the Word is that which we preach, with this you may subdue all evil lusts. You are not to seek it from afar; you have nothing more to do than fully to take hold of it when it is preached. As when I hear that Jesus Christ died to take away my sins, and has purchased heaven for me, and bestows upon me all that He has, then I hear the Gospel. This truth no creature can overthrow, the clearest reasoning avails nothing against it; and if I, too, would strike the devil while I am in his jaws, I must abide completely by the Word. Therefore he well says, you must look for no other Gospel than that which we have preached to you.

To us the sacred Word apply
With sovereign power and energy;
And may we, in Thy faith and fear,
Reduce to practice what we hear.