2 Corinthians 4:13-18 (NIV)
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Paul cites Psalm 116:10, a song that David wrote in the midst of a life-threatening situation. Verse 10 in particular is an expression of faith and trust in God. David believed God’s promises to him, so he turned to God with his request when things were going badly. And that trust was powerful and effective, and he was ultimately delivered.
Paul had also received a promise from God, the promise of ultimate resurrection and eternal victory over death and suffering. And that promise has been given to every one of God’s people. Paul reminds the Corinthians that, even though there is trouble and persecution in the present world, God’s promise is that they will ultimately be delivered.
Paul himself has gone through many harrowing times in his work for the gospel, including everything from being shipwrecked, to being beaten, to being stoned! (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But even with that impressive catalogue of sufferings, he refers to them all as “light and momentary troubles”! That is because God has enabled him to see the larger picture.
Paul knows with absolute certainty that he is headed for heaven, not for a short time, but for all eternity. And the mere idea of countless ages before God’s throne, far outside the reach of any pain, suffering or sorrow, puts everything into its proper perspective. Compared to eternity, a day and a night in the open sea doesn’t even show up as a blip. Compared to eternity, a few minutes of being whipped fades into insignificance and probably won’t even be remembered.
But the only way to live in that ultimate reality here and now is to keep our eyes firmly focused on that eternity, and not obsess on the things that go wrong in this world. This present world is doomed to destruction. But while we are here, we have the opportunity to save countless people from the coming doom through introducing them to Jesus, so that they can come to heaven with us.
Father, it is so easy to get myopic, to allow ourselves to get so focused on this world that we forget about the world to come, a world that will be our home forever. We allow ourselves to get bogged down in our own “light and momentary troubles” which seem absolutely overwhelming to us and forget that Jesus has overcome the world and all that is wrong with it (John 16:33). Help us, Lord, to keep our focus on things above so that the path there is seen more clearly, and so that we can focus along the way on bringing more and more people with us, an abundant harvest. Amen.
If you are enjoying these devotional thoughts, Pastor Will’s new book, When We Listen, a Devotional Commentary on Matthew, has been released, and can be ordered on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle. Just follow this link!