Thursday, November 17 – Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Some promises of Scripture are easier to believe than others. Passages like the one we are reflecting on today can be hard to comprehend. When grief is present and pain is real, it can be hard to imagine a glory to come that could give us the hope this passage promises. How can we believe there is hope in a greater glory to come?

Picture yourself running in a marathon—tired, weary, aching, and ready to be done. If you look down at your feet, this only amplifies the feeling because you can’t see where you’re going. Your focus is on the tiredness, weariness, achiness, and desire to be done that’s right in front of you. But when you look up and around you, you see the progress you are making in the race. When you see the horizon, you’re reminded of the path you’re following, and the goal you’re pursuing.

When we are in seasons of grief, our temptation is to look down, focusing on our hurt and pain. God knows this about us. We focus on what we feel and what we see, making it hard to trust His promises. Second Corinthians 4:17-18 says, “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we 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.” Even when it is hard to trust God and His promises, keep your eyes fixed on your true hope found in your heavenly Father.

• What would it look like for you to fix your eyes on what is unseen today?
• How do we lose perspective when we only focus on what we feel or see?
• Pray and ask God to build your hope and trust in Him as you fix your eyes on what is unseen.