This coming Sunday, Pastor Rob will begin a six-part series drawn from the content of his new book, When the Bottom Drops Out. During this series, he will share the lessons he and his family learned about God's grace in the midst of profound disappointment. In addition, he will lay out a biblically based "theology of suffering" that will enable us to persevere through the inevitable storms of life. In our devotions this week, we will begin to consider two truths: the inevitability of trials in this life and God's sovereignty over everything that happens to us.
We thank Kim Miller -- a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book -- for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.
Today we continue our meditation on 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.
- 17Our 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! 18 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
When life hums along pretty much as we think it should, we tend to keep our eyes on what is right in front of us -- a pressing work project; the upcoming game against our big rival; a child's struggles at school. That's not to say we love God less or don't long to know him better; it simply takes great commitment to think beyond the here and now for very long.
In the upcoming series, we'll learn how the Bugh and Williams families coped when their lives were invaded by health crises they didn't see coming. Both Tom Williams and Carol Bugh had busy lives filled with work, volunteer, and family responsibilities. In the years leading up to their cancer diagnoses, however, they had also immersed themselves in God's Word and made themselves available to Him.
When the bottom dropped out, then they understood what Paul meant when he urged believers not to look "at the troubles we can see now" but to "fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen." That is what they had been doing for years. Tom was never shy about telling other people about the good news available to them through Christ. Carol's children knew where they could find her when they got up each morning -- down at the kitchen table with her Bible open and her prayer list spread out in front of her.
When trouble comes, we have a choice: we can allow our situation to fill our field of vision so that we give in to panic and fear. Or, as Paul recommends in verse 18, we can "see" with the eyes of faith. That is, we can grab hold of what we know about God and His promises to us: "The Lord is my light and salvation -- so why should I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1); "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you" (Hebrews 13:5); "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7).
That is what Carol chose to do. Not long after she received word that her cancer was continuing to spread, she wrote a letter to her e-mail supporters in which she quoted our passage for today. She added, "I believe God is able to heal completely, and He is also able to use our troubles for His glory. We can trust Him, no matter what the outcome, that He will always love us and always be intimately involved in our lives."
The outcome for Carol was not the one her family longed for. Likewise, God may not address our disappointments in the way we would like. Yet we can rest in the certainty that our loving God is in control and that "no eye has seen . . . what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). That is seeing with the eyes of faith.
Lord Jesus,
When I think of the price You paid so that my relationship with You could be restored, I am filled with awe and gratitude. Help me to fix my gaze on You today, and open my eyes to opportunities to share this hope with others. In Your name, I pray.
Amen.