December 13th

Look to the Unseen

2 Corinthians 5:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2 Corinthians 5:18 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.

Change Your Focus

This passage from his letter to the Corinthian Church is a message from Paul the Apostle about setting our focus on things other than what we see before us in the natural, but rather setting our focus on things that are not seen in the natural.

Pressure from the Outside

In the verse leading up to this passage, Paul speaks about the difficulties he was facing each day in his ministry, saying that though the outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. He speaks of being troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair. He is talking about going through the immense pressure of problems and difficulties in the ministry of the gospel.

Momentary Light Affliction

But in verse 17 he refers to it as a light and momentary affliction. And this light momentary affliction, says Paul, works for us a weighty measure of eternal glory, while we do not look at the things we can see, but rather look at things we cannot see.

What is he talking about here? Well, the things we can see are the things that are going on around us, in the natural world. The distresses, the difficulties, the perplexities; those were the things Paul could see going on in his life. But he chose not to look at those things, not to focus on them, but to look at something else.

Things that are Not Seen

Paul chose to look at things that could not be seen in the natural. What are those things? We know that, according to the verse we’re looking at, that those things are eternal and unchanging. The word of God is eternal and unchanging. The promises of God give us an alternate reality that we can look at, an alternate reality that does not agree with much of what we see in the natural.

Temporal and Eternal

The things that are seen, according to verse 18 are temporal, or changeable, temporary, subject to change, but the truth of God’s word is unchangeable and eternal. We can see the things that cause pressure around us, but we choose to look at something else, something eternal and unchanging, the promises found in the word of God.

So, these light momentary afflictions Paul is speaking of can actually help us, but only as long as we are looking at something else, something that is not seen at the moment, but can be seen by the eye of faith. As we do that, the thing that is eternal will change the thing that is temporal and subject to change.

Find God’s promises for whatever situation and pressures you may be facing. As we refuse to be moved by the natural circumstances and situations we see before us, and focus on the promise of God, the report of the LORD, then the thing that is temporary and subject to change will be impacted by the thing that is eternal, the word of God. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. And faith can move every mountain.