The Reed Still Lives
Ngoc Huynh Bich
Humans are fragile like reeds but possess a soul given by God. Though our bodies are vulnerable, our souls cannot be destroyed if we accept Jesus as our Savior. We must humble ourselves before God Almighty, give thanks, and serve Him with all our heart and strength.
# The Reed Still Lives
The mathematician Pascal once said, "Man is a reed, the weakest thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush man. A single breath, a drop of water is enough to kill him. But even if the universe were to crush him, man would still be more noble than that which kills him, because he knows that he dies and knows the power of the universe over him; but the universe knows nothing of this."
With his deep understanding of humanity, the scholar Pascal recognized that we human beings are indeed very weak and fragile, like "a reed"—truly crude and powerless. We can die suddenly, in an instant, in mere seconds, "with a single breath, a drop of water," or simply by inhaling a few microbes, like COVID, or by accidentally drinking poisoned water, and life is no more!
Yet even though we are "a reed," we still possess a soul, for God has breathed the breath of life into us. The Lord still loves us, as King David said, "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4). The world and the universe, no matter how great, cannot kill our souls. Once we believe and accept Jesus Christ as the Savior of our lives, we are assured of eternal life in Heaven with Him. "Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they have died; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die...'" (John 11:25-26).
Recognizing that we are weak human beings, we must humble ourselves before God and give Him thanks as our Almighty Lord, eternal and loving toward us small creatures! Let us praise God, for "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). We must fear the Lord and obey Him with all our heart, all our strength, all our mind, and all our soul! Rejoice, for Christ has risen, has conquered death, has triumphed over the powers of darkness in this world; through Him we can stand firm and wait for the day of Jesus Christ's return! May the Lord grant us renewed strength each day, helping us to live in gratitude to God, to serve Him, and to minister to others, for "apart from you I have no good thing" (Psalm 16:2). Amen!
Man, weak as a reed, Small and humble, living each day, By God almighty's care sustained, Spirit joyful, wondrous and blessed! With all our heart, all our strength, all our mind, Grateful, honoring His holy Name, Revering God, loving others, ever serving, Gospel of salvation, spreading far and wide!
Peace in Christ, Ngoc-Dung
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