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At our last support group
meeting at church we spent quite a bit of time talking about the importance of
keeping our eyes on the things unseen, which is so contrary to the desires of
our flesh. Yet the Scriptures teach: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though
our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by
day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look
at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the
things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are
eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)”
Think about the context
and content of those words. In the throes of cancer treatments we have an all
too deep familiarity with the fact that the “outward man is perishing.” Lost
hair, lost grip, lost organs; whatever the case may be, we’re trying to slow
death through a powerful weapon. The benefits outweigh the risk with the hope
someday a doctor will say “it’s all gone.” Even if cancer wasn’t a factor in
our lives, the truth is since the fall of Adam the world has been a broken
place. Life expectancy was once in the hundreds of years and now we average no
more than 80 years. Though the universe was perfectly designed by our Creator
Jesus, sin came in to spoil the plan. Despite what man did to pollute
perfection, Jesus continues to hold all things seen together in harmony, until
He comes again when He will to “bring all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:21)
Satan the enemy of our
souls seeks to distract us from following the Lord by getting stuck looking at
the physical world and activities that don’t come easy anymore. I propose we
look at our calamity as a blessing and fulfillment of this passage from 2
Corinthians. Seriously – what is happening to us is producing so much more than
we’re losing. That “eternal weight of glory” is immeasurable, indescribable,
and unfathomable. To get a glimpse of it, allow God to use the cancer diagnosis
to reach other people around you and see what happens. As you keep your mind on
the Word of God, the eternal dwelling place of the Christian, in the presence
of the Living God, there will be little energy left for self-absorption.
Elisha the prophet had a
servant who was intimidated the sight of the enemy army. Elisha reassured him, “Do
not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with
them." (2 Kings 6:16) Then Elisha prayed to the God of Heaven to
open the eyes of the servant so he could see that there were horses and
“chariots of fire” all around (Elisha). The book of Hebrews (Ch 12) says
that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, referring to all the
saints who went before us and are now with the Lord. Countless saints of no
reputation, people whose lives were sealed for the day of redemption by the
blood of the lamb. (Ephesians 4:30) Many endured unspeakable acts for the cause
of Christ and they are there with Him cheering us on as we deny ourselves for
the sake of our Lord.
Fellow believer: let us
keep our attention on the only thing, he only one deserving of all glory, honor
and praise as we look forward to the Day when we will see Him as He is – face
to face! (1 John 3:2)
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