2 Corinthians 4:17-18 "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
When things in my life are not going the way I want them to be, I sometimes act like it is the end of the world. All I can see and think about is the situation I am going through and how bad it is and how sad I am. I totally let it consume me, forgetting what the verse above teaches. These troubles and obstacles (afflictions) I face in life are just what this verse says, momentary and light when looking through God's eternal lens. What believers battle on this earth is temporary. We should not let it harm us permanently. And what this verse says affliction produces for us far outweighs the present and the things I can see. We must focus on the unseen, the eternal, what God is doing in our lives and in those around us. I know God is doing great things in my life and some of it is behind the scenes. And I don't see it because I am so focused on the things I do see. I pray for new vision, God's vision for myself and for the world. May I see life and its' circumstances like He does.
Romans 8:18 says "For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." This world is temporary and our troubles are temporary. We have so much more to look forward to and keep our eyes focused on rather than just the mess that happens on this earth. We have hope! Hope for something better where there will be no more afflictions and sadness and pain in the new heaven and earth. Hope that we will be changed permanently with the resurrection of our bodies. The ESV Study Bible says "The ultimate glory that Christians will receive is so stupendous that the sufferings of this present time are insignificant in comparison." I pray that when life gets hard and messy, I will meditate on this Scripture and on the promises of God. I pray that we believers don't get caught up in this present world and forget about what is to come. We are blessed through our circumstances! We are loved, forgiven, and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment