MOMENTARY MISERY AND ENDLESS BLISS
Friday, August 20, 2010
Verse for Today
2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
When we go through enjoyable times, the normal feeling is that time flies very fast, but the opposite is true when we experience disinterested times or times of trouble. So when things are not favourable, we tend to complain and murmur and feel that it has been a long time since we started going through it. But Paul was comparing the forthcoming glory in Heaven with the sufferings he was going through for the sake of the Lord and His gospel. As he was always meditating on the surpassing glory that he was going to get in Heaven, he felt that the sufferings on earth were so light and momentary. It certainly is momentary when a life time of a human life is compared with eternity which is billions of years and cannot be numbered. He also felt that the intensity of the sufferings was so light when compared with the vastness and depth of the glory which is awaiting him in Heaven. This blessed hope kept him going without feeling weary in times of troubles. Paul learned this lesson from the Lord Jesus who endured the bitter experience of the cross, because of the joy that was awaiting Him as he would see the faces of millions of people who would be saved through His sufferings and death. In other words, Paul didn't look at the present sufferings and didn't focus on it, as though it was a big deal. His mind was not on what he was going through, but rather on what he was going to become. His eyes were not on his immediate circumstances which were painful and miserable, but on that which was lying ahead with the intensity of its joy and the glory attached to it.
It is where our heart is there our feelings, emotions and thoughts will also be, and this will guide our present behavior and outlook. If our heart is on what is going on around us, we would be discouraged and under great stress and tension. So we need to take our eyes off what is around us and fix it on what lies ahead of us. We need to meditate on what the Lord has in store for us in glory rather than what we are going through at present. Here we are threatened by circumstances and the powers of darkness. Here our confidence is drained away day by day and moment by moment by the volume of uncertainties that we are faced with. Here we are under fear and tension about what is going on and what might or might not happen a moment later. Here we are under fear and anxiety about the present and the immediate future. But if we focus on what are going to become in Heaven and what kind of reception we are going to get there, it would take our eyes and attention away from our present struggles, and give us a hope to always look ahead to the joys of the eternity. But sadly we are all so badly conditioned to look down and look around where there are only discouragements. If we want to make progress in our daily walk, we cannot keep looking at each of our steps, but look far ahead and walk forward by faith. It is true that we take a step at a time by faith, but that step is not to be taken by hesitatingly looking around, but by looking at a distance where our hope is. Today as we walk our steps of life, let us look at the author and finisher of our faith who is waiting to usher us into eternity. If we look at the Lord Jesus and the glory we are going to be part of, all our troubles today will pass away in a moment of time, and our troubles are insignificant in comparison with the glory that is going to be ours. This sublime thought ought to guide us to go forward, and then we will forget about ourselves and our troubles, and will praise God.
1 Peter 4:13 - But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.
Thought for Today
The eyes which truly gaze upon our awaiting glory will not have time to dwell on the momentary earthly sufferings.
Verse for Today
2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
When we go through enjoyable times, the normal feeling is that time flies very fast, but the opposite is true when we experience disinterested times or times of trouble. So when things are not favourable, we tend to complain and murmur and feel that it has been a long time since we started going through it. But Paul was comparing the forthcoming glory in Heaven with the sufferings he was going through for the sake of the Lord and His gospel. As he was always meditating on the surpassing glory that he was going to get in Heaven, he felt that the sufferings on earth were so light and momentary. It certainly is momentary when a life time of a human life is compared with eternity which is billions of years and cannot be numbered. He also felt that the intensity of the sufferings was so light when compared with the vastness and depth of the glory which is awaiting him in Heaven. This blessed hope kept him going without feeling weary in times of troubles. Paul learned this lesson from the Lord Jesus who endured the bitter experience of the cross, because of the joy that was awaiting Him as he would see the faces of millions of people who would be saved through His sufferings and death. In other words, Paul didn't look at the present sufferings and didn't focus on it, as though it was a big deal. His mind was not on what he was going through, but rather on what he was going to become. His eyes were not on his immediate circumstances which were painful and miserable, but on that which was lying ahead with the intensity of its joy and the glory attached to it.
It is where our heart is there our feelings, emotions and thoughts will also be, and this will guide our present behavior and outlook. If our heart is on what is going on around us, we would be discouraged and under great stress and tension. So we need to take our eyes off what is around us and fix it on what lies ahead of us. We need to meditate on what the Lord has in store for us in glory rather than what we are going through at present. Here we are threatened by circumstances and the powers of darkness. Here our confidence is drained away day by day and moment by moment by the volume of uncertainties that we are faced with. Here we are under fear and tension about what is going on and what might or might not happen a moment later. Here we are under fear and anxiety about the present and the immediate future. But if we focus on what are going to become in Heaven and what kind of reception we are going to get there, it would take our eyes and attention away from our present struggles, and give us a hope to always look ahead to the joys of the eternity. But sadly we are all so badly conditioned to look down and look around where there are only discouragements. If we want to make progress in our daily walk, we cannot keep looking at each of our steps, but look far ahead and walk forward by faith. It is true that we take a step at a time by faith, but that step is not to be taken by hesitatingly looking around, but by looking at a distance where our hope is. Today as we walk our steps of life, let us look at the author and finisher of our faith who is waiting to usher us into eternity. If we look at the Lord Jesus and the glory we are going to be part of, all our troubles today will pass away in a moment of time, and our troubles are insignificant in comparison with the glory that is going to be ours. This sublime thought ought to guide us to go forward, and then we will forget about ourselves and our troubles, and will praise God.
1 Peter 4:13 - But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.
Thought for Today
The eyes which truly gaze upon our awaiting glory will not have time to dwell on the momentary earthly sufferings.
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