This was a hard verse to select. As I read and meditated on it, I thought “light affliction?” No way is fighting cancer or any chronic illness “light.” It has been terrible to face a never ending illness.
I thought and prayed what could our family’s chronic illness be teaching us? How could any of this be preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison? I asked God to show me what is happening.
Today’s Bible Verse:
2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV), “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
What the verse means:
1. The “momentary affliction” of cancer or a chronic illness is weaning us from this world.
2. We have to look to God for consolation and support as she faces cancer. The events and disease are forcing us to look to God as He alone is our hope.
3. Her cancer has us contemplating the glories of the heavenly world. We see our thoughts and longing for heaven alone as a respite from the disease while on Earth. It has us looking forward to heaven as our home and the wonder of no more sickness or suffering.
4. We look forward with hope as God has graciously promised to reward his people in heaven as the result of their bearing trials in this life. God is preparing us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
5. We only trust God as we know through our walk with Him over the years He is faithful.
Praying using the verses:
1. Heavenly Father, help us as we face our worldly afflictions. Help us to change our focus from what ails us to you.
2. Lord God, we look to you for consolation and support as face the chronic illness. God, you alone are our hope.
3. Help us to contemplate the glories of the heavenly world. We long for heaven where there is no disease and suffering.
4. We look forward with hope as God has graciously promised to reward his people in heaven. Thank you, God, for preparing us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
5. We only trust God as we know through our walk with Him over the years He is faithful.
Photo Source: By Nabeel Akram Minhas (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and military science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.
