So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV)
So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever. – (2 Corinthians 4:18, ERV)
So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting; it will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on. – (2 Corinthians 4:18, VOICE)
What our eyes can see is limited, yet what we cannot see is infinite. Hope anticipates what is not yet, for it has not yet come into view. Though we cannot see the Eternal, we can imagine a glimpse of the good that will be. God’s word tells us that “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) I have seen some incredibly beautiful places on earth, have heard singing that sounds like the voices of angels, and I can imagine goodness, kindness, joy and peace, yet my limited experiences and imagination do not have the capacity to grasp the glory of God and the place He has prepared for us. Knowing how good God is gives us reason to set our sights on that which is not yet seen. May we ever seek the Lord, who is unseen, to reveal more and more of Himself to us as He leads and guides us in all that is good.
The glory of God,
our eyes can’t yet see;
the work of His hands,
are glimpses to me.
The moon and the stars,
the land and the sea;
glorious preview,
of eternity.
The hands that crafted,
such endless beauty;
in love, uphold us,
leads us patiently.
All thanks to the Lord,
who cares endlessly;
grants hope forever,
through what’s yet to be.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and loving and forgiving. Thank You that You are preparing a place for us that is beyond what we could hope or imagine. Thank You that as we focus on what we cannot yet see, You show us more and more of who You are and how You love. Forgive us for our lack of eternal perspective when challenges come our way. Teach us to trust You more, so that we might recognize how fleeting the here and now is in comparison to forever with You. Show us how to love those around us in ways that point hearts and minds to that which is eternal. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to know You more each day and praise You for the eternal hope that You deposit in our hearts. Amen.
© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present
I lift my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2
Revelations In Writing 