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2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore, 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.
For 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!)
Since 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 everlasting.
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I just love those verses, especially on days when there is that "momentary affliction" (that 'something' that is going on in my life. A problem to deal with the the girls, or a car that needs repair, Scott's ongoing back problem, or even a simple pimple I didn't want to wake up with. I can apply the wisdom from these verses to any "affliction" big or small.
I come back to these verse often, read them slowly, and let them wash over me.
I think "this too shall pass" "this can't last forever"
Even when I look back at a difficult time I've endured I can remember thinking "I can not go through this one. more. day." I can remember thinking that I've been tempted every five minutes to believe that they difficulty was going to last forever.
But then I remember that I DID make it to the other side. And that this time with this new difficultly I might be going through I will make it through again with Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13) And on that other side I can see how God turned those experiences into good for my life. (Romans 8:28)
The first one that comes to mind is waiting to be parents. I can remember what felt like EVERYONE around me pregnant. I had to 'endure' baby shower after baby shower after baby shower. And each one felt like a knife in my side. Grin and bear it, buy the gift, eat the cake, and get outta there before anyone sees you starting to cry.
But of course now I look back and KNOW that God had a plan (Jeremiah 29:11) and that I DID make it through with His strength (Philippians 4:13) and certainly God turned those experiences into good (Romans 8:28).
It's certainly difficult when you're in the middle of it. (big or really small affliction) For sure these scripture verses don't magically make the affliction wash away. But they do give me a peace that "passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7)
And when I read them I am reminded that the season of trials will pass. And Saint Paul learned to keep his eyes on the prize of heaven and trust God to prepare him so that God's glory was revealed through his life.
These scriptures verses are "light and momentary" from the perspective of eternity. No matter how bad a certain situation may LOOK, God loves us. And we can trust Him.
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