2 Cor 4:16-18 (NLT) We never give up…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.
No matter what you’re going through, no matter what you’re facing, you can and will make it through. Never give up! Never give in!
I know it seems hard. I know you may feel like you’re never going to make it through to the other side, but if you’ll keep standing in faith, you will!
Did you know the Bible calls all of our struggles and trials small? In fact, the King James Version calls them “light” afflictions. Yes, I know, they don’t seem very small or “light.” In fact, most of the time they seem big, heavy, and burdensome. They may even seem insurmountable, overwhelming and potentially devastating.
But we must put these struggles in perspective. We must view them in light of eternity. We must look at the grand scheme of things, and take God’s view of the situation. Remember, with Him nothing is impossible (Lk. 1:37). He always gives you the victory (1 Cor. 15:57). He always causes you to triumph (2 Cor. 2:14).
Your troubles are very real, there’s no denying the fact. But remember, they are light, momentary, brief and fleeting. Don’t lose heart. Never give up! You will make it through because the Greater One lives in you, and He is greater than any problem, sickness, or deficiency you may have (1 John 4:4).
Learn to see through eyes of faith. Fix your gaze on the eternal. Focus your attention on the promises of God’s Word and forever settle in your heart that He is the final authority.
If you are discouraged, despondent or hopeless, then you must change your perspective, change your focus. How do you do that? By building yourself up in the Word of God. Find scriptures in the Bible that promise victory in whatever situation you are facing.
God’s Word is very practical and applicable to our daily lives. I guarantee you that there is a scriptural promise for whatever need you have. Find it and write it down. Memorize it, meditate on it and cling to it. (If you can’t find a scripture that pertains to your need, contact me and I will help you.) The more Word you get in your heart, the more your faith will grow.
I love this passage in The Message Bible:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
These hard times are “small potatoes” compared to the coming good times…There’s far more here than meets the eye. And not a day goes by without God’s unfolding grace to help us!
How’s that for perspective?
Don’t let what you’re going through weigh you down or rob you of your joy. Don’t allow momentary, light afflictions to cause you to give up on God’s faithfulness. What you’re going through right now won’t last forever. It’s temporary. So, focus on the eternal. Focus on the Lord and what He has promised in His Word. Fix your gaze on Him and never give up!
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Thanks for sharing this. Life is fairly smooth right now, but the past year was full of trials. It was a very difficult year. Your words would have been encouraging to me during that season, and are even now though not in the middle of it all anymore.
Praise God for the smooth sailing, right? He is *always* faithful during those difficult times. Blessings to you, Heather! ~ Alisha
Hi Alisha
I suffer from a chronic debilitating disease that could seem insurmountable, but it has taught me how to live in our Lord Jesus trusting His grace to carry me moment to moment, day by day. So, I can say with an honest heart that our Pappa God had worked only good in my life through what could have been devastating!
Much love
Mia
Amen, Mia! He is always good! Praying for more & more grace to carry you through! The Lord is faithful! Love & blessings, Alisha
Just this morning I became weighed down with a situation I’m going through…well, to be more specific, a situation my elderly mom is going through. However, after visiting her today and realizing that what she is experiencing was rubbing off on me making me feel pretty “down in the dumps”, I knew that I needed to turn my focus to God and all the blessings in my life! Nothing and no one can rob me of the joy I have in Christ…unless I allow it to happen. So, as I turn to and place my trust in Him, I pray that the joy I have in Him will be visible for all to see! I want to be a positive influence on those around me, including my mom…not the other way around!
Thanks for linking up today!
Through Him, Joan
Amen, Joan! I completely agree! Blessings to you, Alisha
“There is far more here than meets the eye.” I love the Message version of this passage. Praying that I will trust in what I cannot see. Visiting from Ann’s.
Isn’t that version wonderful? Thank you so much for visiting, Christina. Blessings to you, Alisha
Life is full of hard times. Those are the times when faith saves us.
Amen, Patricia! Blessings to you!
I just shared the Mercy Me song “Move” as a part of a devotional I led this morning…
It’s always so rewarding to know that God is taking care of us before we even know we need His help!!
Yes it is, AJ. He is always taking care of us. He’s a good Daddy! Blessings, Alisha
Thank you for the encouragement!
Here from the Hop.
Thank you for visiting, Sennie. Blessings to you!
3 simple words that have totally changed my feeling of being deflated to being hopeful! Thank you Alisha, you’re blog is truly a blessing to me 🙂
Kim, I just love you!!! <3 You are always so encouraging to me! Blessings to you!
Let the church say “Amen”!
Amen! 😉
I needed to read this today – love when God does that. Thank YOU!
Isn’t He awesome? Blessings to you!
Hopped from Titus 2sday… Thank you for this reminder. I am guilty of worrying about the little things that I just need to let go!
Thank you for visiting, Piper. We all have to make the decision to let go of those things. God is faithful, He will never fail us or forsake us! Blessings, Alisha
I just found your blog last night- through Titus 2sday, I believe. I love it! I love the encouraging, uplifting, and inspiring posts that I’ve read so far.
I am a pastor’s wife, mom of 1 on earth, and 3 that went to heaven before they were born. I want to homeschool our children. I still dream of a large family. God is doing amazing things in my family’s life this year, and I’m just trying to keep up! 🙂
I will definitely be coming back here to read more.
I’m blogging at http://www.lindalmartin.com
~Linda
Thank you so much for your kind words, Linda! I’m so glad you found me. 😉 You mention that you still dream of a large family. Well, I truly believe that God gives us the desires of our hearts. I’m not sure if you saw this page, but if not, check it out. I’ve listed numerous scriptures to stand on when believing the Lord for children. Desiring Children Blessings to you & your family! I can’t wait to hear about more children on the way!