2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLV) So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. INTRODUCTION Giving up often causes us to miss the best God has to offer. It is easy to lose heart and quit. We all have faced problems in our relationships or in our work that have caused us to want to think about laying down the tools and walking away. Rather than giving up when persecution wore him down, Paul concentrated on experiencing the inner strength from the Holy Spirit (Ephes. 3:16). Don't let fatigue, pain, or criticism force you off the job. Renew your commitment to serving Christ. Don't forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today's pain. Your very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen you moment by moment. [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARL I'm standing outside on my deck in early spring, surveying the patio below where a bunch of ceramic and plastic pots are filled with dead plants. It's a somewhat depressing sight, and I wonder if the perennials will come back to life. I know they won't with any help from me - I'm a serial plant killer. My husband, Hal, is the one with the green thumb. He's out there, early in the season, tidying up the space and preparing for the new growth. I know in my heart that when spring really kicks in, many of those sad-looking plants will begin to sprout and later flourish. What I see now is only temporary. Change is happening in the garden; I just can't discern it with my eyes. In my mind, I remember the blooms of last season and imagine the flowers that will bring me joy in the coming months. That was the message the apostle Paul delivered to the Corinthian church. Although it appeared they were taking a beating and facing hardships because they were following Jesus, like my dead plants, they were actually being renewed each day because of their belief in Jesus. Eternal joy was on the horizon, not only in heaven with the Lord but also coming to them on earth. Despite this season of seemingly lifeless surroundings, I use my eternal vision and look forward to better days and the glory of spring that's ahead. Barbranda Lumpkins Walls Faith Step: In what situation do you need eternal vision? Journal about what seems to be happening and pray for Jesus to show you what's really happening. [Mornings With Jesus 2023 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] COMMENTARY We are to "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 4:18. The exchange we make in the denial of selfish desires and inclinations is an exchange of the worthless and transitory for the precious and enduring. This is not sacrifice, but infinite gain. "Something better" is the watchword of education, the law of all true living. Whatever Christ asks us to renounce, He offers in its stead something better. Often the youth cherish objects, pursuits, and pleasures that may not appear to be evil, but that fall short of the highest good. They divert the life from its noblest aim. Arbitrary measures or direct denunciation may not avail in leading these youth to relinquish that which they hold dear. Let them be directed to something better than display, ambition, or self-indulgence. Bring them in contact with truer beauty, with loftier principles, and with nobler lives. Lead them to behold the One "altogether lovely." When once the gaze is fixed upon Him, the life finds its center. The enthusiasm, the generous devotion, the passionate ardor, of the youth find here their true object. Duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure. To honor Christ, to become like Him, to work for Him, is the life's highest ambition and its greatest joy. ED296,7 LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 2 Corinthians 4:18 - Focus on What Will Last Forever. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200910-1039.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/