September 9, 2024 MOMENTARY LIGHT AFFLICTION
2 Corinthians 416-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things that 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.”
For sure, we may have difficulty seeing afflictions as momentary and light. Yet, if we gain understanding of the gospel and we have the perspective of the kingdom of God and we know that we have an inheritance form God as believers, we will be able to see our afflictions as momentary and light. We must not be spiritually shortsighted but must keep the big picture of the purposes of God in mind. Knowing what’s coming for those who know God enables us to see this life on earth as momentary. Another reality we must accept is that our physical bodies are decaying! No matter how much attention we give to keeping ourselves in good shape and no matter what we do trying to improve our outward appearance, we are decaying. (I know that is a hard word-sorry.) That is not a doomsday or futile awareness; we should take steps to be in good health as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Actually, accepting the fact that God designed us in such a way that our physical bodies wear out and one day we die helps us appreciate and value the time we have on this earth. The other good news is that the trials we endure are not just trials for no reason; the trials we endure are producing something-an eternal weight of glory. The message of this passage gets to the core of our culture; the culture focuses on the now and what is seen. The problem with that is that what is seen is temporal; to build a life on the temporal insures disappointment. The believers who lived during the early church days endured great affliction, yet they were overcomers in those afflictions because they were focused on the inheritance in the Lord that was reserved for them. So, while we live on this earth, let us be good stewards and view this life as being precious times we have to be the people God calls us to be; but also let us have our focus on all that God has in store for us and the inheritance that will be ours when we take our last breath. Finally, how blessed we are that our inner man, the real us, is being renewed day by day.
1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all the grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Blessings, Buddy
2 Corinthians 416-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things that 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.”
For sure, we may have difficulty seeing afflictions as momentary and light. Yet, if we gain understanding of the gospel and we have the perspective of the kingdom of God and we know that we have an inheritance form God as believers, we will be able to see our afflictions as momentary and light. We must not be spiritually shortsighted but must keep the big picture of the purposes of God in mind. Knowing what’s coming for those who know God enables us to see this life on earth as momentary. Another reality we must accept is that our physical bodies are decaying! No matter how much attention we give to keeping ourselves in good shape and no matter what we do trying to improve our outward appearance, we are decaying. (I know that is a hard word-sorry.) That is not a doomsday or futile awareness; we should take steps to be in good health as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Actually, accepting the fact that God designed us in such a way that our physical bodies wear out and one day we die helps us appreciate and value the time we have on this earth. The other good news is that the trials we endure are not just trials for no reason; the trials we endure are producing something-an eternal weight of glory. The message of this passage gets to the core of our culture; the culture focuses on the now and what is seen. The problem with that is that what is seen is temporal; to build a life on the temporal insures disappointment. The believers who lived during the early church days endured great affliction, yet they were overcomers in those afflictions because they were focused on the inheritance in the Lord that was reserved for them. So, while we live on this earth, let us be good stewards and view this life as being precious times we have to be the people God calls us to be; but also let us have our focus on all that God has in store for us and the inheritance that will be ours when we take our last breath. Finally, how blessed we are that our inner man, the real us, is being renewed day by day.
1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all the grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Blessings, Buddy
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