Verse of the Day 9/6
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 English Standard Version (ESV) 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
The trials and struggles that we go through in life hardly feel like "momentary" affliction. But as we noticed yesterday, this is coming from someone (Paul) who knew about pain and suffering as much if not more than any of us at the time that he wrote these words. He is saying that no matter how "weighty", how deep, these troubles are, they are or will be far outweighed by the future glory that will come out of them.
MacArthur notes in his study Bible, 'The Greek word for "light" means a weightless trifle and affliction refers to intense pressure." Paul's life reflected a litany of persecutions and sufferings throughout his life, yet, in light of eternity, he viewed them as lasting for a brief moment. He continues, "the Greek word for "weight" refers to a heavy mass. For Paul, the future glory he would experience with the Lord far outweighed any suffering he experienced in this world."
As we wait, we must run the race set before us, be it a marathon, by faith.
"By faith we run the distance that lies between the now and the not yet. By faith we now lay hold of God’s word of promise, namely, the gospel, and reach beyond what can now be seen, in order that after we have done all that delights God, we will receive what his gospel promises us." — Thomas Schreiner & Ardel Caneday in "The Race Set Before Us"..
May we, through God's grace, have the endurance to run that portion of the race, that distance between the "now and not yet" that is before us today.
Read the passage from the Amplified Bible below. Notice that the distress is "of the passing hour", though the glory, now invisible, will be "deathless and everlasting".
In Christ,
Mike
God's grace NIVThrough the Bible - Psalms 148-150, John 1:29-51
2 Corinthians 4:14-18
Amplified Bible (AMP)
14Assured that He Who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence.
15For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.
17For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!],
18Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.
15For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.
17For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!],
18Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.
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