The devo for today highlighted a verse that has mystified me. 2 Cor. 4:17 speaks of how "our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory." (HCSB)
The picture that comes to my mind is an old fashioned balancing scale, used in a grocery store when I was a child. On one side rests the weight, on the other side produce is added until the two sides of the scale are level with each other. Thus, one pound of cherries can be accurately determined and purchased at a fair price.
This passage is contrasting our present afflictions with eternal glory. According to the Greek, eternal glory will be "in excess and to excess." So, if we could place our present pain (emotional, physical etc) on one side of the scale and try to balance its weight with the unseen eternal glory God has in store for us, it could not be compared. Why? Because God has excessively tipped the scale in our favor, giving us "an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory" in exchange for our present pain. In contrast, Glory will exponentially out weigh the distress of our present earthly experience.
Although my physical eyes can see only half the scale, I challenge myself to "focus" on that unseen eternal...the hidden other half of the scale! Somehow the weightiness of the present is being exponentially outweighed in the eternal.
Trusting Him with the Seen & Praising Him for the Unseen...dmc
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My troubles and pain in this world should not weigh me down, but I must confess that at times they seem nearly unbearable. Instead of shouldering the weightiness of my burdens, I want to look upon them as opportunities for growth in Him as I continue to follow the path He has designed just for me. As I get older (and maybe, just maybe, a little wiser) I realize there IS purpose in my trials. Since the recent loss of my daddy, now I can look beyond this brief earthly life with its trivial sufferings with a new found longing for my “going home”. Other benefits from my trials and human limitations include: realizing the pain my Savior endured just for me, keeping me from being proud about “my accomplishments”, showing my faith and trust (and God’s power) to others. Continuing to trust Him as He holds tightly to my hand.
ReplyDeleteI try not to let my troubles weigh me down, but there are days I continually give my pain to God. That's when I must look at all the blessings big and small, which puts my attitude in a better place.
ReplyDeleteWalking with Him daily!