Daily Devotional - Seeing Beyond What Is: The Vision - Week 41 - Day 277 - 10/4/26 - "Fix Your Eyes on Things Eternal"

Author: Evangelist Crystal Poston

“Fix Your Eyes on Things Eternal”
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

"So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that
cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

Devotion:
Paul encourages the believers in Corinth to not look at the things that they can see, but the things that they cannot see. He is letting them know that what cannot be seen are the things that matter, they are the things that will last forever. Yes, we will experience trials in our lives, and they are not to be ignored, but we must know that we have hope; those things are temporary and will soon pass away.

There will be times when discouragement arises in our ministries. Oftentimes the success of a ministry is measured by the number of members it has, the size of the building it owns, how charismatic or well known the pastor is. However, we must continue to do the work of the Lord in spite of what we see. It is by our faith in God that we can continue spreading His Word, continue testifying of His Goodness, and perform outreach even when it seems that no one is listening.

With our bare eyes we may see the ministry as not effective because we don’t see the church growing, or the world around us seems to be getting worse and not better, but God! As Paul taught his followers, and it is for us to take heed to today, when we look at things by faith, we can then see things that will last forever. Like the sermon you preached which changed someone’s life; or how an evangelist offered a word of prayer to someone and that person was drawn closer to Christ. This verse invites us to remain faithful even when what we see does not seem favorable.

We must put our trust in God and know that He is working on our behalf. Know that what we see is temporary, but what really matters is what we cannot see - that is what is Eternal.

Prayer:
Lord, help me keep my eyes fixed on You, not on what I can see. When my work goes unnoticed, remind me that my labor is not in vain. Give me strength to serve faithfully, wisdom to value what is eternal, and a life that points others to Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.