Ride Those Waves!

Dear Friends,

Recently I had a long conversation with a woman from our church who is feeling overwhelmed by life. Over the course of our conversation she shared her concerns about her job, finances, family, and struggles with past hurts. It was an emotionally heavy conversation, and I could easily see why she was feeling overwhelmed. It seems like everywhere she looks in life there are significant challenges for her to deal with.

As we talked, I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:18, which says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” In this passage, the Apostle Paul reminds us that one of the best ways we can handle the emotional challenges of this broken world is to keep our focus on what’s important - on what’s eternal. For followers of Jesus, that means our focus should be on the reality of who God is, and what He's promised to those of us who belong to Him. And one of the best ways we can know the promises that God has made to us is by reading His Word.

For example, Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us before He created the world. Ephesians 1:5 tells us that we’ve been adopted into His family. 2 Corinthians 6:18 tells us that God is our Father. John 3:1 says that God’s love for us is lavish and unfailing. Hebrews 13:5 says that God will never leave us or forsake us. Philippians 4:19 says that God will always provide for us. Isaiah 53:3-5 tells us that God is our Healer. And 2 Corinthians 1:3 says that God is the Father of compassion, and the God of all comfort.

All of those statements (and a lot more!) are promises that God has made to every follower of Jesus Christ. And they are promises that He will keep. So whatever difficult circumstances we’re facing today, they are temporary compared to the eternal nature of God and His promises to us in Christ.

So today, let’s choose to fix our eyes “not on what is seen, but on what is unseen”. Let’s hold on to the truths of what God has promised us in His Word, and allow Him to encourage us with the reality that we belong to Him.

Amen?

Daniel