What is unseen is eternal.
—2 Corinthians 4:18
Paul wrote: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:17).
He gives us a snapshot of some of his “light and momentary troubles” in 2 Corinthians 11:23–28. He was:
- Imprisoned
- Flogged
- Stoned
- Shipwrecked
- In constant danger
- Hungry and thirsty
- Cold and naked
Would you call those “light and momentary troubles”? Me neither.
How could Paul see them that way? Well, he tells us that he could see “an eternal glory that outweighs them all”—that “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor 4:18).
Some days you feel like you can’t handle any more trouble, can’t go on. God never promised that the journey would be easy, but he did say the destination would be worth it.
Look beyond the “Now” and
focus on the “Then.”