30 lines
4.6 KiB
HTML
30 lines
4.6 KiB
HTML
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">May 28</div>
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<h2>Temporary Visible Things, Eternal Invisible Things</h2>
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<div class="block"><i>For our light affliction—is working for us—[an] eternal weight of glory, <b>while</b> we do <b>not</b> look at the <b>things</b> which are <b>seen</b>, but at the <b>things</b> which are <b>not seen</b>. For the things which are seen are <b>temporary</b>, but the things which are not seen are <b>eternal</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',4,'17-18');">2 Corinthians 4:17-18</a>)</div>
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<p>Our gracious God wants to use the trials in our lives (<i>"our <b>light affliction</b>"</i>) to produce for us eternal blessings (<i>"<b>eternal weight of glory</b>"</i>). He intends to use our daily difficulties to <b>enlarge our spiritual capacity</b> to experience more fully the <b>glorious eternal realities</b> of knowing, worshiping, and serving God forever! The Lord desires a full, rich inheritance to await us in heaven: <i>"For so an <b>entrance</b> will be <b>supplied</b> to you <b>abundantly</b> into the <b>everlasting kingdom</b> of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Pe',1,11);">2 Peter 1:11</a>).</p>
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<p>A life of great difficulty here on earth does not guarantee enriched experience in heaven. The process of earthly trials producing heavenly blessings is not automatic for God's children. <a onClick="return mV('2Cr',4,18);">Verse 18</a> tells us exactly when this process is occurring: <i>"<b>while</b> we do <b>not</b> look at the <b>things</b> which are <b>seen</b>, but at the <b>things</b> which are <b>not seen</b>."</i> The difficulties of life are turned to eternal blessings <i>"<b>while</b>"</i> we turn our attention upon <b>unseen</b> realities.</p>
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<p>Many believers waste their afflictions by focusing upon <i>"the <b>things</b> which are <b>seen</b>."</i> They set their minds on themselves, their circumstances, or some conventional human wisdom. Such an approach to life's problems fosters temporal frustrations, not eternal blessings. To accrue eternal benefits from temporal situations, we must look to <b>unseen eternal</b> resources, because <i>"the things which are <b>not seen</b> are <b>eternal</b>."</i></p>
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<p>What are these unseen things? They are the resources of the <b>grace</b> of God. This includes grace for <b>consolation</b> and <b>hope</b>: <i>"Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has…given us everlasting <b>consolation</b> and good <b>hope</b> by <b>grace</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Th',2,16);">2 Thessalonians 2:16</a>). This also includes grace for <b>endurance</b>: <i>"My <b>grace</b> is <b>sufficient</b> for you"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',12,9);">2 Corinthians 12:9</a>). It actually includes <i>"<b>grace</b> upon <b>grace</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn',1,16);">John 1:16</a>) for whatever is needed.</p>
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<p>All of this is available through daily <b>dependence</b> upon the <b>Lord</b>. <i>"For we walk by <b>faith</b>, <b>not</b> by <b>sight</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',5,7);">2 Corinthians 5:7</a>). The Christian life is lived by faith in the Lord, not by mastery of observable circumstances. God's people enter into His blessings by trusting in Him. It is by looking to the grace of God during our difficulties that afflictions are turned into an <i>"<b>eternal weight of glory</b>."</i></p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord God of abundant grace, I confess that I have frequently wasted my afflictions by concentrating upon temporal things—very often focusing upon myself. Please help me to look to the resources of Your unfailing grace, that my trials might have eternal, heavenly significance. Through Christ Jesus, I pray, Amen.</div>
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