2 Corinthians 4 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (17-18)
When my wife was young, her grandmother Margret gave her a little embroidered picture that simply said, “This too shall pass.” Margret was known for her pithy (and rather accurate) statements. “This too shall pass” is one of my favorites and it is the theme of these verses in 2 Corinthians. Paul has been discussing the persecution and trials that he had faced as an apostle, and while we might not face the trials he faced, all of us know what sorrow looks like. We all have “present troubles” but like Paul, when we consider them in the light of eternity we realize that they are “small and won’t last very long.”
In addition to the good news that no trial lasts forever, we can also rejoice with Paul that every trial has a purpose. “They produce in us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” That is something to be thankful for and it puts all of our struggles into their proper perspective. Instead of looking at the problems that we can see now, we should consider the purpose behind those problems and lean into that. We are exhorted to “fix our gaze on the things that cannot be seen.” You might not be able to see the end of the problem, but it is there. You might not be able to fully see the purpose of God in your trials, but it is there.
We spend so much time worrying about what we can see when what is more real and lasting are the things we cannot see. Those things we cannot see… like His grace, His plan, His providence… those things last forever. Grandma Margret was right, whatever situation you are in today, no matter how difficult, it will pass. You will get through this if you lean on Jesus and He will see you through; one way or the other. This present trouble is temporary, but the God who walks with you and the glory He is producing in and through you will last forever. May that knowledge lighten your load and ease your journey!
