The 
Phases of Faith
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Saturday, May 15, 2004
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My Prayer Today
Dear God, I thank you for the hope that I have because of Jesus. The problems I am facing right now are nothing compared to what I will know and experience with you in heaven. Help me not to be so consumed with this life that it becomes the only thing I ever think about. I want to always think of you. I ask that you would help me to focus, not on my problems today, but entirely upon you. I ask this in Jesus' name. . . Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.
Reflecting on God's Word
According to 2 Corinthians 4:17, what is the size and duration of our present troubles?
What will our present troubles produce for us?
Should we focus on what we can or cannot see? What is the "unseen?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
Read Psalm 37:39 and explain what it has to say about who God is.
What does Paul mean when he says your troubles will "soon" be over? How long was he thinking?
How does "present trouble" compare with "future glory" in longevity?
Understanding God's Purpose
Did Jesus go through trouble? Was it worse that ours?
How does our joy derive from the identification of Christ's suffering?
Will the sweetness of our future joy in heaven be enhanced by our suffering and struggle now?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What was the greatest sorrow you have ever experienced?
Will that sorrow one day be eclipsed by joy? How and when?
Does the thought of heaven help to console you in times of difficulty? If not, why?
Thoughts...
Victory is always sweet. However, victory is especially sweet when we have experienced prior defeat. The joy actually becomes enhanced when we have know the sorrow of a loss. Any time that we have strived for something significant, and have known the agony of attaining the goal, the reaching of the goal is always special. If you think of a mountain climber climbing to the top of a mountain, you can imagine the pain and struggle they experienced while climbing is eclipsed by the joy of reaching the top. If you think about a mother giving birth to her child, you can imagine (or in some cases know) the pain and struggle that she experiences while delivering the baby is eclipsed by the joy of holding the new born in her arms. The pain of the delivery is forgotten by the joy of new life.
God has great joy for those who follow and trust in him. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 reveals to us that the pain and difficulty that we experience in this life now are not even in comparison to the future glory that awaits us in Christ Jesus. Eternity is a long time! Even if our lives were in constant difficulty, and we lived to be 100 years old, those 100 years of problems would not be compared to eternal joy. One cannot even fathom the length of eternity, nor the level of joy we will experience. All of this joy is possible through the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus' suffering brings about our joy. If heaven for us was obtained by suffering momentarily, the momentary sufferings that we have are nothing compared to heaven. Victory is something that is sweet, especially when we cross over into eternity and know the wonderful joy of being with God in heaven. Troubles will then be over.