2 Corinthians 4:17 - Look Beyond The Gloom To The Glory!
2 Corinthians 4:17 (GNT) This small and
temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous
and eternal glory, much greater than the
trouble.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Our minds take the level of the things on
which our thoughts dwell, and if we think upon
earthly things, we shall fail to take the impress of
that which is heavenly. We would be greatly
benefited by contemplating the mercy, goodness, and
love of God; but we sustain great loss by
dwelling upon those things which are earthly and
temporal. We allow sorrow and care and perplexity to
attract our minds to earth, and we magnify a
molehill into a mountain.
Temporal things are not to engage our
whole attention, or engross our minds until our
thoughts are entirely of the earth and the earthly.
We are to train, discipline, and educate the
mind so that we may think in a heavenly channel,
that we may dwell on things unseen and eternal,
which will be discerned by spiritual vision. It is
by seeing Him who is invisible that we may
obtain strength of mind and vigor of spirit (ST
Jan. 9, 1893). 6BC1099-1100
COMMENTARY
Every Storm Is a School, Every Trial a
Teacher.
When we go through difficulties in life,
the first thing we often try to do is blame
somebody else. But it doesnt matter where your
problem came from - God still has a purpose for it
in your life.
Even when you do something foolish, God
can use it. Even when other people hurt you
intentionally, he can use it. Even when the Devil tries to
mess things up, God can bring good out of it.
Gods purpose is greater than your
problems and your pain. He has a plan! You need to
look past the temporary pain and look instead at
the long-term benefit in your life.
Romans 5:3-4 says, We can rejoice,
too, when we run into problems and trials, for we
know that they help us learn to be patient.
And patience develops strength of character in
us and helps us trust God more each time we use
it until finally our hope and faith are strong
and steady (TLB).
Whats the purpose of your problems and
difficulty? God wants you to learn something. Every
storm is a school. Every trial is a teacher. Every
experience is an education. Every difficulty is for
your development.
Most of us are slow learners. If you
dont learn something the first time, God will
bring it up again in your life. It will come back
because God is more interested in your character
than he is in your comfort. He is more interested
in seeing you become more like Christ than he
is in making things easy for you.
Maybe you are facing a major difficulty
right now. It may be an illness, guilt, a
financial problem, or strain in a relationship. Does
God have a word for you while youre going
through your difficulty? Absolutely. God is
essentially saying to you, Dont give up; grow up.
Let me make you more like me through this
painful situation.
Through your difficulty, let God fulfill
his purpose in you - to transform you more and
more into the person he created you to be.
Trust this truth: This small and
temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous
and eternal glory, much greater than the
trouble (2 Corinthians 4:17 GNT). [Daily Devotional
by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
These trials of life are God's workmen to
remove the impurities, infirmities, and roughness
from our characters, and fit us for the society
of pure, heavenly angels in glory. But as we
pass through these trials, as the fires of
affliction kindle upon us, we must not keep the eye on
the fire which is seen, but let the eye of faith
fasten upon the things unseen, the eternal
inheritance, the immortal life, the eternal weight of
glory; and while we do this the fire will not
consume us, but only remove the dross, and we shall
come forth seven times purified, bearing the
impress of the Divine. 1T705-7
Whats on the Other Side of Your Troubles?
When a crisis hits, you have to do the
smart things necessary to get through it. You
listen to Gods Word and godly advice, you make
good choices, and you keep moving forward while
remembering that this will pass. Its not going to
last forever!
The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:12, "Dear
friends, don't be bewildered or surprised when you go
through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no
strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to
you" (TLB).
In this world, there will be times of
trial and testing. Its guaranteed! Since sin
entered the world, nothing works perfectly.
Everything on this planet is broken"the weather, the
economy, your body, and even your best plans. Nothing
works perfectly in this life because sin broke
everything on Earth.
Isaiah 24 says, The land suffers for
the sins of its people [they] have twisted
the laws of God and broken his everlasting
commands The earth has broken down in utter
collapse" (Isaiah 24:4-5, 19 TLB).
On Earth, everything is lost, abandoned,
and confused. Even nature is groaning. We may
wonder why God allowed sin and evil to enter the
world; its because God wanted us to have a
choice.
And we're the ones who have chosen to
cause evil. We're the ones who are selfish and
self-centered and cause problems in society and in our
environment.
This Earth is not heaven. Thats why
Jesus taught us to pray the Lord's Prayer""your
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"
(Matthew 6:10 NIV). Heaven is a perfect place with no
sorrow, sickness, sadness, or stress, but we
shouldn't expect heaven on Earth. One day we'll get
there, but we're not there yet.
You will get through whatever trial
youre facing right now. Soon enough you will
marvel at all that God did in the midst of your
trouble as you look at it from the other side.
There will be more challenges to face and
adversity to endure. But you can always hope in this
truth: "Our light and momentary troubles are
achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
them all. 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" (2
Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV). [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
CLOSING THOUGHT
In all ages Satan has persecuted the people
of God. He has tortured them and put them to
death, but in dying they became conquerors. They
revealed in their steadfast faith a mightier One than
Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but
he could not touch the life that was hid with
Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison
walls, but he could not bind the spirit. They could
look beyond the gloom to the glory, MB29,30
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
2 Corinthians 4:17 - Look Beyond The Gloom
To The Glory!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190730-1152.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040902-1205.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100831-1039.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
