Paul
the apostle shared with the church members in Corinth how he and his
companions faced the threat of death, and he wrote, “for
which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day”,
and in chapter four and verse sixteen of Second Corinthians, Paul
told the church members, “our
light affliction, which is but for a moment”,
where we read:
For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
works
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
The
verse begins, “For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment,...” Paul
began with the word, “for”
which
means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and
therefore” “our
light affliction”
which
means “easy and agile pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation
and distress”, “which”
or
“that” “is
but for a moment”
which
refers to “is instantly and quick”. Paul and his companions
considered their sufferings “easy” and “quick”.
The
verse continues, “works
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
Paul
added the word, “works”
which
means “performs, accomplishes and achieves” “for
us” or
“on behalf of Paul and his companions” “a
far more exceeding”
which
means “a superior and beyond measure”
“and
eternal”
or
“without beginning and end, that which always has been and always
will be ”
“weight”
which
refers to “heaviness” “of
glory”
or
“opinion, judgment, view, praise, honor, splendor and brightness”.
Paul
knew he and his companions' suffering would not last compared to
“eternity” which would afford them a far greater “honor,
splendor and brightness”.
When
we consider these words of Paul, we see how he weighed the
“afflictions” he and his companions suffered. To Paul, they
were “light”, and he knew the “weighted” “glory”
they would receive for them exceeded the difficulties they endured.
Jesus Christ “suffered”, and those who follow after Him may go
through hard things as well. Should we, like Paul and his companions,
face “tribulations and distresses”, let us keep in mind their
“lightness” compared to the “glory” that shall be
eternally revealed.
Next
time Paul tells the church members, “we
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then,
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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