The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
I have had a problem with fear and anxiety for most of my life. One of the fears is the loss of a loved one. This fear does not lesson as I grow older. I long for the past, and relive precious memories. My own personal struggles, along with all the suffering, evil and sorrow in the world, can really test my faith.
2 Corinthians 4;18 tells us to not, “look at the troubles we can see now: rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” In Romans 8;18, the apostle Paul says, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (NLT)
Many of Paul’s readers were suffering from intense persecution. Yet he encouraged them to look at their temporary troubles in the light of eternity where the imcomprehensibly vast glories of heaven, and a mounting reward for their faithfulness awaited them. He did not downplay their pain but gave them a new perspective that helped them endure with courage and joy.
Our own afflictions may seem endless, but God’s ears are always open to our cries, and He is working on our behalf. Let’s take our eyes off our troubles and focus on God’s faithfulness, love, and power, and remember the unseen glories of eternity. We can then find the strength to endure joyfully as we await our own rich reward.
Those precious memories, I wish I could relive? They are nothing compared to the new ones I will make, reunited with my believing loves one, in an eternal home, free from all pain, death, tears, or evil.