“The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (CSB)
It’s hard to shake the feeling of failure when I’m throwing away rotten, unused vegetables or chicken I thawed with the perfect recipe in mind. I had every good intention of eating them. Then busy moments lead to busy days, and there I am again, throwing away expired food.
While I don’t mean to waste food, especially when there are so many who could use it, sometimes this happens.
This gets me thinking about the speed of life. Things pass us by so quickly — even the longer seasons like pursuing careers, raising children, or enjoying retirement. There’s always something we intend to get around to that, if we’re not careful, gets missed as the opportunity expires.
Maybe we keep saying we’ll read more books to our kids, and then before we realize it, they’re too old to want story time. Or maybe we keep waiting for the right time to ask for a promotion, and then someone else gets the position.
We can be filled with disappointment and regret about wasted opportunities. But eventually, we have to stop beating ourselves up about it. There will be other chances, even if they don’t look the same.
More importantly, we can take comfort in knowing God has left us with something that will never waste away: “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Many moments in life will wither and fade before we get to live them the way we planned. But our time spent knowing God and learning His Word will never expire or spoil before we can use it.
Hebrews 4:12 also tells us the Word of God is living and active. When we soak it in, it does a work in us! Whether or not we can see it right away, God’s Word transforms us piece by piece. There is no waste, no unused portion that will later be embarrassingly tossed out.
With God’s Word, any amount we absorb blesses our lives. We can and should set goals to study more of the Bible — but thankfully, even when we fall short, the small amount we did read will still enrich us greatly.
God knew our best intentions would sometimes result in failure or disappointment. But His Word can produce fruit in us whether we read only a verse a day or go to seminary to study theology. He uses every ounce of time we invest in knowing Him, and the harvest is always beautiful.
Because He’s perfect, we don’t have to be.
Because He’s steadfast, we can stumble and get back up.
Because He’s so many things we’re not, we can take in His Word and trust Him with the rest.
Even when we miss the mark, His Word is never wasted. There’s no expiration date on the work God is doing in us.
God, thanks for Your unfailing Word. Thanks for being my solid rock when everything else is finite and unreliable. Help me to grow deeper in Your life-changing Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
If you’re honest, prayer doesn’t always feel peaceful. Some days it feels rushed. Distracted. Like you sit down wanting to talk to God, but your mind just won’t slow down. You’re thinking about your kids, your calendar, that hard conversation you haven’t had yet. And you wonder, Am I even doing this right? That’s exactly where so many women are when they reach out to Proverbs 31 Ministries — asking for prayer, asking for help, asking for something solid to hold on to. When you give today, you help meet her right there with Scripture and prayer instead of letting her sit alone in the spiral. And as our thank-you, you’ll receive Come Close to Jesus, a prayer book filled with honest, Scripture-based prayers for moments when your own words feel thin. Your gift helps another woman breathe again — and you’re also giving yourself something steady to come back to.
Opening up God's Word doesn't have to feel intimidating. Our free resource “How To Study the Bible: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Applying Scripture to Everyday Life” offers a five-step, reusable method that will help you get more out of your quiet time and gain a deeper understanding of Scripture. Download your copy here!
Isaiah 55:11, “so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do” (CSB).
Even in small chunks, God’s Word is powerful. What’s one verse or Bible story you can meditate on today?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2026 by Jasmine Williams. All rights reserved.
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