LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 30:5, For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

2 Corinthians 4:17, For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don’t 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. (NLT)

In Psalm 30, David is contrasting God’s anger with His favor. This might be from the time David had the people of Israel counted (against God’s wishes); this caused a plague to come upon the people. God mercifully gave David three choices to choose from rather than suffer a total defeat from his enemies (1 Chronicles 21). The lesson to learn is the Lord is merciful, even when He disciplines. God’s anger is short lived; His grace is for eternity. If you have experienced God’s discipline in your life you know it can cause sorrow. But, when God forgives, the sorrow goes away, and joy fills your heart once again. Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening — it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (NLT).

In 2 Corinthians Paul is emphasizing the grace and mercy of God which sustained Paul and those Corinthians when they faced danger, opposition, accusations, and even death threats from those opposing them. Take time to read what Paul wrote in chapter four. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that his sufferings were not in vain because it brought life (eternal) to them. Notice he wrote, “his present troubles are small and won’t last very long.” He was contrasting his present conditions with the overwhelming time of eternity in God’s kingdom. Eternity signifies a never-ending time of glory that every Believer will inherit. Romans 8:18 supports this thought. “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (NLT).

I want to remind each person reading this who is walking the narrow way with Jesus; the trials, the struggles, the challenges you are now facing are momentary when compared to the eternal glory that waits for us! Consider that the difficulties being faced are working to bring an everlasting reward that is greater than all pain or suffering you are facing.

Why is this so important to grasp? It helps to take the focus off the difficulties of the present moment and place them on the hope of eternal glory that is coming. Knowing this truth will give each of us the strength and peace to endure the storms that come our way, knowing that an everlasting reward is coming. Keep your focus on the eternal promises in God’s Word. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, knowing He is walking with you and has prepared a wonderful and glorious future for those who love Him.

One last reminder about focusing our minds on the eternity to come in His kingdom. The encouragement is to have an attitude of gratitude and praise through all things that come your way. Choose to give thanks for the many blessings God has given you and for the hope you have in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can find strength, comfort, and joy when trials come when we shift the focus from the difficulties to the eternal glory coming.