Take A Good Look - Looking At Things You Cannot See

2 Corinthians 4:17 - 18

For our 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.

Have you ever had “one of those days?” Days where nothing seems to go right. A few years ago, Gina and I had one of those days when we moved back into a home that needed some renovating and cleaning up.  So before we moved in, we planned to have the carpet replaced. The carpet was delivered just as expected and stored in the garage. It began to rain that day and we did not know that a drainage pipe next to our driveway was completely stopped up. As the rain began to fall, the driveway suddenly filled up with water and began running into the garage. We got word that the carpet company was delayed and couldn’t come until the next day.  About that time, the moving trucks arrived with our belongings. There we were, moving in the rain and trying to keep water away from the new carpet in the garage!  After a long day of moving, we were heating up leftovers in the oven, and you guessed it… the oven wasn’t working. It turned out to be just one of those days; a day where nothing went right, and everything that could go wrong, did so. 

I hope that you are reading this with a bit of humor, perhaps remembering some of those days from your life. We all have days like this; some not so serious, and some quite serious. Some are far more challenging than a garage full of water, a broken oven, and a house full of misplaced furniture and boxes. Things such as a cancer diagnosis, a rebellious teenager, the loss of a relationship, the betrayal of a friend, and the pain and suffering that goes along with these types of things.

The Bible uses the phrase “momentary, light affliction” to describe these situations. Now don’t be offended by this phrase. In fact, be encouraged! From God’s perspective, these things are but for a moment. They are light. Yes, they are called “afflictions,” but they are temporary. They are not long term; they are short lived. The word “affliction” can be translated as trouble, distress, anguish, tribulation, and even persecution, and each of us has experienced one of these in life.

The Word of God calls us, however, to take our eyes off of those things, remembering that they are temporary, short term, lasting only for a little while. But not only does God’s Word tell us what not to look at, the temporal things, it also tells us to look to the eternal, lasting, permanent, and forever promises.

Recently, my father in law, Curtis Bicknell, passed away at the age of 93. The last few weeks of his life were quite difficult. Gina, Mrs. Bicknell, and Curt, her brother, endured much those last few weeks. And Curtis did as well. And then finally, Curtis stepped from this life to the next. He moved from the things we see, the “momentary, light afflictions,” to the things we don’t see, the eternal, the lasting, eternity with Jesus. His sight became eternal. Can you imagine all that Curtis saw over his 93 years of life. He saw tragedies, hardships, depressions, wars, sickness, disease, and countless other “light afflictions.” Yet Curtis kept his eyes on the eternal, and he now sees what he couldn’t see for 93 years. In a few weeks I will be writing a series of blogs devoted to Curtis and his life, but for now, let me just share with you that he sees eternity now. The temporal has passed and the eternal is reality for him.

Maybe today, your life circumstances are not what you desire. Perhaps you are experiencing a lack of integrity with your work associates, conflict with friends, neighbors or even family members. sickness, disease, job loss, or any other countless temporary thing. I am so grateful these trials are temporary and we can lean hard on Jesus through them all. We can roll our burdens on His shoulders, and experience the comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit. 

Today, I encourage you to look beyond the “momentary, light afflictions” of this life and look at what is eternal.

Before you move onto your day, would you pray with me? Dear Lord, help us to look beyond our present trials, our present needs and our present disappointments. Focus our mind’s eye on Jesus and the eternal life He has secured for us. Dear Lord Jesus, for the one that is reading today that needs a fresh look into eternity, encourage their faith as You walk them deeper into your mercy and grace.