Friday, June 22, 2018
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV84) 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. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
EVEN A MUSTARD SEED FAITH CAN DO GREAT THINGS (4)
Another aspect of the faith the Lord grants to His children is that we know that the heavenly glory awaiting us in Christ isn't going to be ours to enjoy for a limited amount of time. It won't be like when we take time off from our work duties to decompress for a day or two or when we embark on a vacation trip with family to relax and unwind for a couple weeks. The rest awaiting us in heaven will continue on endlessly. It’s our Holy-Spirit-given faith that enables us to know this. It removes all the mountains of doubt and hills of uncertainty about it from our hearts.
It is also our Holy-Spirit-given faith that leads us to focus our eyes on our future glory instead of on the fading pleasures of this present world. Now it might seem strange for Paul to say in the verse above that we Christians are to keep our eyes on things we can't see. How is it possible to see what's invisible? But, of course, Paul isn't referring to our physical eyes. He's speaking about the eyes of faith the Holy Spirit has gifted us with that enable us to visualize (at least in part) the wonderful things God has prepared for those who love Him, the treasures the Savior will bestow on all the faithful in heaven where moth and rust can't destroy and thieves can't break and steal (Matthew 6:20).
Nor is this living by faith, not sight, like an airplane pilot flying blind. It's not like when we're driving on a foggy highway unable to see what's on the road over the next hill. As Christians whose hopes are anchored in Christ our Redeemer we know what lies ahead. We know that it's going to be good. We know it will be precious beyond compare-- and we know that it will be *forever.*
Lord, give us such a faith as this;
And then, whate'er may come,
We'll taste e'en now the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 396:6)
