“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
“I will walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
We are caught between two worlds: the temporal and the eternal. The temporal is what we can see; we contact it with our senses. But the eternal is the world God wants us to be at home in. And we can be at home in that world by only one means: faith.
In the book of 2 Corinthians, we are challenged once more by the contrast between the visible and the invisible:
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18)
Paul’s states a deliberate paradox: looking at things that are not seen. How can we do this? There is only one way—by faith!
There is great significance in the word “while”: “while we look not at the things which are seen.” It stresses the same lesson that Moses learned in his test of endurance. He learned that affliction serves a useful purpose for the believer. It forms and strengthens our character and prepares us for the eternal glory that lies ahead.
But the word “while” teaches us this: Affliction serves us only while we keep our eyes on the invisible realm. If we become preoccupied with the world of time and of the senses, we are no longer able to receive the benefits that affliction is intended to provide for us.
Faith lifts us above the realm of our own abilities and makes God’s possibilities available to us. As we maintain a relationship with God through faith, we are enabled to endure and to overcome the tests and the hardships that confront us in our daily lives. These, in turn, become opportunities for God to reveal His goodness and His glory.
Prayer response:
Father in heaven, thank you for the assurance that in all things you work for the good of those who love you. Nothing can seperate me from your love in Christ. Even affliction serve me while I keep my eyes on the invisible realm: on you. Amen.
