THE INVISIBLE REALM
2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18 NKJV
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
There is a lot of good stuff in chapter four of Second Corinthians. I could write a devotional on almost every verse. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, reveals things such as not losing heart. Why some people do not see the truth of the gospel. How Paul thinks about difficult times. And why Paul stays encouraged. Our verses for today give us a perspective on the invisible spiritual realm.
Paul starts with the inward man versus the outward man. The outward man is the part of us that is visible. And much to our dismay, it is the part of us that is not getting any younger. I realize that some American billionaires have invested money into ways to eliminate aging, but I could save them a bundle. The outward man is perishing, and that will not change until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom on earth.
But the inward man. The part of us that is not visible is not aging. The inward man is being renewed day by day. I am not quite sure all that entails, but I do know that our inward man can be replenished and renewed by feeding on God’s word. What bread is to the outward man, God’s word is to the inward man.
Another area of the invisible realm is what Paul calls light affliction. For a man who suffered through many difficulties, his perspective on problems was amazing. Paul saw problems as light and momentary. And he knew that the problems were working something far more important spiritually - an eternal weight of glory. Notice Paul does not credit God as the source of the problems but does acknowledge that the problems were not going to take him down.
Paul’s perspective on problems was influenced by his ability to look past the problem to the invisible, the things that were not seen. So, he did not focus on the temporary things of this life. Instead, he looked to the eternal things of God. God’s promises. God’s rewards. God’s Kingdom and God’s help and power. Paul believed that there was much more going for him in the invisible spiritual realm than what was coming against him in the realm of the visible and physical.
APPLICATION:
It is very important that we do not lose heart as we run our race here on earth. And yet, with all the challenges we face, losing heart, losing courage, and giving up is an ever-present problem. So we have to pursue the same attitude Paul had. We must focus on the things we can’t see lest we are overwhelmed with what we do see.
Spending time fellowshipping with the Lord in His word and in prayer are key ways to change our perspective. This is the process the scriptures call renewing the mind. Learning to develop a different mindset that is influenced by our relationship with the Lord.
An Old Testament prophet was surrounded by enemy soldiers early one morning (2 Kings 6). However, he told his servant not to fear because there were more for them than against them. When his servant balked at that strange math, the prophet prayed for God to open the servant’s eyes that he might see. What the servant saw with his newly opened eyes was an army of angels surrounding the enemy.
PRAYER:
Lord, open our eyes so that we might see there is more for us than against us.