Fix Our Eyes on the Unseen

Friday morning. It is unbelievable to me that today is Friday. I find myself in the situation that I've packed too much in this week and now I realize that the week is over, and I've spent so very little time with God. I didn't ignore Him completely, but spent so very little time with Him.

Usually I spend time with God in the morning - the early morning. It's the best time for me. It's quiet in my house (even my dogs are still sleeping). I can make a pot of coffee, sip my freshly brewed coffee and sit down at my computer to read my Bible. That's my relatively normal routine. It's a good routine for me. This week, though, I've had early morning meetings which have thrown my schedule off a little, so my quiet time with God has been reduced. I can't say that I had a terrible week, but I feel blah about the week. I don't feel energized, and usually, if I spend time with God, I feel energized and ready to take on whatever it is that my job and/or other responsibilities can throw at me. That wasn't this week.

I am still in my quest of reading of the Bible backwards. This morning I'm in II Corinthians 4. Verses 16-18 jumped out at me - "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 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". Like I said, it wasn't a bad week, but I felt a little burned out by the week. I felt like Paul described - I felt like I was wasting away. I'm not sure Paul meant it like that, but that's how I read it this morning. I love the part about being renewed day by day and that our troubles to achieve an eternal glory will be far outweighed. What is seen around us is just temporary and the unseen is for eternity. That's refreshing to me. No matter what is going on around me; no matter what trial or trouble I face, the reality is that there is an eternal glory that I'm someday going to reap. I know that may seem like spiritual glibness, but today it's refreshing for me.

The struggles that I've seen my friends go through recently, and even my own struggles, seem overwhelming. My friends and family are dealing with heavy things - like cancer, death, marital strife, dealing with the trauma of events - sometimes it can be so burdening. Sometimes the struggles seem so overwhelming. I believe this is exactly what Paul was writing about. Even though we outwardly are beat down by the cares of this world and the things that are happening around us, remember that there is an eternal glory that will far outweigh anything even great in this world. This is just temporary - for a season. What God has in store for us is so great that we can't comprehend it in our minds.

I'm not sure who reads this blog. I can guess that more people than I am aware of read it. Today, if you are reading this and you are struggling with something in your life, look to God for the answer. It's not spiritual glibness even though it may feel like that. It's the truth. He's the own who can give you the strength to get through your trials and struggles day by day. He doesn't ask us to get through on His grace for more than a day - 24 hrs. He is our strength; He is the own who can make us feel renewed every day. From scripture, today, that's what I take. It's the refreshing stream of hope that I needed in my blah week. Started out on the mountain top, but then came slowly down the hill. I feel renewed and refreshed this morning. The power of God is amazing. Why is that so easy to forget? It's not tangible - I'm a tangible person. Here. Now. Yet, when I do tap into His power, my life is changed - in small ways and sometimes in ways I could never predict.

Fix my eyes on what is not seen. That's Paul encouragement to me, and my encouragement to you. Fix your eyes on what is not seen - it's what is eternal and refreshing and renewing.