To read: 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 5:5
New Revised Standard Version Bible,So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling - if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
To think about:
How
often do we find ourselves consumed by life's struggles - particularly those over which we have little or no control? From stress at work, challenges at school, difficulties in our families and planning for the next stage in our lives, there is never a shortage of issues to exhaust our energy. It is so easy to become overwhelmed and fatigued by our everyday activities.
Through it all, we often neglect to acknowledge how temporary our earthly worries are in comparison to God's promise of eternal life. Regardless of the severity of the problems we may be experiencing, we are assured that these burdens will soon disappear. Yet, in the present, it's often difficult to rely on God and trust that he will be there to support us and carry us through to our next challenge.
I particularly enjoy today's Bible passage because it provides comfort and reassurance that our worldly affliction serves a purpose - that is, to prepare for our coming into glory. This passage reminds us that our current struggle is fleeting in comparison to the unimaginable eternity we will share with our Lord and Savior.
To pray:
Heavenly Father, we pray that you give us the strength and the will to trust that you will carry us through all of life's obstacles. We ask that you help us to focus on those things that are eternal and find solace in the promise of your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Peer Minister, University of Delaware Lutheran Student Association
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Bel Air, Md.