What is Unseen

06.26.15

2 Corinthians 4.16-18 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – St. Paul to the Corinthians

This morning my devotional reading took me to the Book of Jonah; a very strange little book. The book begs more questions than it gives answers. Why did Jonah run? Why didn’t he tell the mariners what his problem was with God. Why was his life so miserable when God wouldn’t let him have his way? Jonah sounds a lot like me. Jonah, what’s wrong witchu boy?

Like everyone on the planet, Jonah was having issues – we all do in some form or other, and at some time or other in our earthly living. Issues are about as common to man as Dandelions are in the spring: they’re everywhere! It’s the job, it’s the spouse, it’s the kids, it’s my back, it’s my… We all have issues.

So, I read about clever Jonah who tries to outwit God but it doesn’t work. He convinces the sailors to pitch him overboard in a raging tempest thinking that the waves will do him in, and – problem solved. Except Jonah factored out God. (Or at least he tried too.) Running, hiding, rebelling, yelling, screaming, or scheming won’t get us away from God. Jonah found that out.

But instead of learning, Jonah decided to get angry and pout. I’m sure there is much more to the story, but the bottom line is Jonah, in my humble opinion, had a ‘tude.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that though we have issues, we should be overjoyed what those issues are doing to the one who believes in God unshakable and unstoppable love for His creatures. And to the saints of God it is even more so…unless, like Jonah, we try to factor out God.

What our issues do for us (if we’ll let them) is prepare… for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. In other words, our issues are changing us in ways we cannot see but will be evident to us in glory: Oh! So that’s why that had to happen!

That may be hard for the one who is suffering. That may be hard for the broken hearted. That may be hard for the devastated. But the divine call is to see our issues for what they really are and what they’re really doing. It takes faith and courage but in the end we’ll rejoice because they end is not here – and it never ends over there.

Father in the midst of all my issues may I find courage to trust You and believe in You throughout my issues, knowing that they are preparing for [me] an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…that sounds like something to go after… Amen.