For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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.
—2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (KJV)
Life can be very tough. Eventually, our bodies are going to wear out and die. In the process of living, we're going to face some challenging circumstances and experience some awful pain. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I do want to be real about life in our decaying world. So, as bad as life's harshest realities can be, we are never abandoned by God (Romans 8:35-39) and are headed for an eternal glory beyond what we can imagine. Life's difficulties can't compare to this glory that awaits us (Romans 8:19). Our pain is "light and momentary" when compared to our future glory. The things that cause our pain are temporary. The treatments, the prescriptions, the therapies, the surgeries, the setbacks are all temporary. All these things that we have seen and experienced in our decaying world are passing. At the same time, our eternal glory, that fantastic future that we cannot yet see, is eternal... forever... incorruptible... and reserved for us as God's precious children! Hallelujah! Let's focus on what is unseen and eternal!
Dear God, my Abba Father, please be with me during the painful and difficult passages of my life. Help me keep my heart fixed on what is unseen. In addition, dear Father, I pray that you will be tangibly present in the lives of the following people I love... (Pray for people personally you love, here!) Please grant them healing. Please pour your love into their hearts through the Holy Spirit and give them rugged perseverance and indestructible hope. Help them see your glory and anticipate the greater glory that awaits them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Life can be very tough. Eventually, our bodies are going to wear out and die. In the process of living, we're going to face some challenging circumstances and experience some awful pain. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I do want to be real about life in our decaying world. So, as bad as life's harshest realities can be, we are never abandoned by God (Romans 8:35-39) and are headed for an eternal glory beyond what we can imagine. Life's difficulties can't compare to this glory that awaits us (Romans 8:19). Our pain is "light and momentary" when compared to our future glory. The things that cause our pain are temporary. The treatments, the prescriptions, the therapies, the surgeries, the setbacks are all temporary. All these things that we have seen and experienced in our decaying world are passing. At the same time, our eternal glory, that fantastic future that we cannot yet see, is eternal... forever... incorruptible... and reserved for us as God's precious children! Hallelujah! Let's focus on what is unseen and eternal!
My Prayer...
Dear God, my Abba Father, please be with me during the painful and difficult passages of my life. Help me keep my heart fixed on what is unseen. In addition, dear Father, I pray that you will be tangibly present in the lives of the following people I love... (Pray for people personally you love, here!) Please grant them healing. Please pour your love into their hearts through the Holy Spirit and give them rugged perseverance and indestructible hope. Help them see your glory and anticipate the greater glory that awaits them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
