Written by Mark D. Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker.
In 2 Corinthians 4:18 the Apostle Paul talks about seeing the unseen. He’s not thinking mainly about seeing visual things with unusual insight, however. Rather, when Paul writes, “we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen,” he’s referring to a different kind of seeing. Physical eyes see physical things. But unseen things can be “seen” with the eyes of faith and through the lens of the Spirit. This is made clear in the final phrase of verse 18: “for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” So, I wonder, how do we see what is eternal? And what happens when we do? First, we see what is eternal – what cannot be seen with human eyes – when we pay attention to what God reveals to us. What God shows us in Scripture about the future, for example, allows us to see the unseen. We catch a glimpse of the invisible future in Revelation 21, where God dwells among us and wipes away every tear. God can speak in other ways as well, through dreams and visions, through prophetic words, through art and music…When I was young, I didn’t think much about the unseen world of God’s future. I had many things to occupy my mind besides Heaven. As I get older, I have a growing desire to “see” what lies ahead, not just for me, but for the world. When I see people in such pain, when I observe a world racked with violence and injustice, I want to know where all of this is heading. Plus, as I feel the weight of my own mortality more heavily, I yearn to know the greater heaviness of God’s future glory. This desire does not make me less concerned for the world of this age, however. If anything, the more I reflect on the future, the more I pray for God to grant us a bit more of the future today. I am also more attentive to moments in which God’s grace can be seen in the kindness of strangers. I am more appreciative of times when God’s people seek the justice of God’s kingdom. I am more grateful than ever for moments when God’s love penetrates my sometimes hard but often yearning heart.
Prayer:
Written by Mark D. Roberts, the author of today’s meditation.
Gracious God, I must confess that I find it much easier to see what is temporary than what is eternal. I tend to focus on what my eyes actually see rather than what my faith reveals to me. Forgive me for the limits of my vision. Help me, I pray, to see what is now unseen, to catch a glimpse of your future, your glory, your kingdom. As I do, may seeing the unseen inspire me to live more fully for your kingdom now. And may I do so with confidence that my life is in your hands both now and forever. Amen.
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