DAILY BREAD READING (Published Daily by Our Daily Bread Ministries)
MAY 11, 2026
READ: Isaiah 40:1-8
MEMORY VERSE
“The word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8
BACKGROUND
In the early 1900s, successful steel businessman Charles Schwab decided to build perhaps the most lavish mansion in New York City.
Completed in 1906, his Riverside Drive estate took its inspiration from French chateaus and spanned an entire city block, with lush gardens, grand halls, and opulent interiors. It stood in stark contrast to the rising apartment buildings that would soon define Manhattan.
Despite its grandeur, the estate struggled to find a buyer after Schwab’s death. The mansion was too large, too costly, and out of step with real estate trends. Riverside Drive estate was demolished in 1948. Both the mansion and the man faded away.
It’s easy for us to point to earthly realities like wealth, ambition, and mansions as destined to fade away. The words of Isaiah 40 remind us, “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field” (v. 6).
Isaiah wrote to people enduring God’s discipline for their faithlessness. After He had corrected them, God would comfort them (vv. 1-2). What the prophet says about people, grass, and flowers is true (vv. 6-7). But the truth of God Himself?
It will outlast men and mansions and wealth and ambition and accolades. Yes, “the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8).
It’s good to keep in mind how fragile we are. And it’s wise to remember God’s word is everlasting.
John Blase
INSIGHT
The words recorded in Isaiah 40:6-8 are sobering. There’s nothing flattering about humans being described as “grass [that] withers” (v. 7) or “flowers [that] fall” (v. 8).
These word pictures describe the temporary nature of our human existence, which contrasts with the permanence of “the word of our God” (v. 8).
The apostle Peter, before citing Isaiah 40:6-8 to biblically support the point he was making in 1 Peter 1:24-25, wrote these words: “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (v. 23).
Isaiah wasn’t the only biblical spokesperson to grasp the potency and permanence of the Scriptures. The psalmist’s words in Psalm 119:89 touch on this theme: “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
Though constantly confronted with our frailty, we find comfort that “the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Arthur Jackson
APPLICATION
What have you witnessed that has withered and faded away? How does God’s eternal nature and unfailing word encourage you?
PR’s (Pastor Richard) RE-EMPHASIS (From Today’s Post)
“It’s good to keep in mind how fragile we are. And it’s wise to remember God’s word is everlasting.”
PR’s TAKE
God’s word is enduring because He is ENDURING.Pr
“But there is one thing that never fades, never fails and never changes: the Word of God. His promises are eternal. His truth is unshakeable. When everything else falls apart, God’s Word remains.” John Piper
“I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.” Psalm 138:2
PRAYER
“Eternal God, I praise You because Your word endures forever!”
TODAY’S HYMN/WORSHIP/PRAISE/GOSPEL SONG
“THE WORD OF GOD SHALL STAND”
The Word of God shall ever stand,
Though stormed by every foe;
Upheld by His almighty hand,
No powers can overthrow.
Though all the powers of hell engage,
And hosts of sin assail
God’s wondrous might, His changeless Word
Shall evermore prevail.
The Word of God shall stand,
Shall stand unchanged forever;
In every clime and land
The world shall own its sway.
The Word of God shall stand,
Its foes can change it never;
Though Heav’n and earth may pass away,
God’s Word shall stand forever.
God’s Word has stood the fiery darts
Of all the sinful world;
And skeptics all through ages past
Their fiercest blows have hurled;
It stands unmoved, a mighty rock,
’Gainst cruel hate and scorn,
To bless the nations of the earth,
And nations yet unborn.
The Word of God shall stand,
Shall stand unchanged forever…
Then sound we forth His glorious Word
To souls of all the earth,
To tell them of the Father’s love,
And Jesus’ matchless worth.
It is the Spirit’s mighty sword
No power on earth can stay;
Though Heav’n and earth may be removed,
God’s Word shall stand for aye.
The Word of God shall stand,
Shall stand unchanged forever;
In every clime and land
The world shall own its sway.
The Word of God shall stand,
Its foes can change it never;
Though Heav’n and earth may pass away,
God’s Word shall stand forever.
