WEDNESDAY: FIXING MY EYES ON ETERNAL THINGS

Nov 16, 2022
3 min read

Lord, today I proclaim to everyone that You are Supreme, and Your Word is Truth! I would like You to mold my heart, so I can serve You.

2 Corinthians 4:13-18

It is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Today I learn that God not only has a plan for my life, but the plan begins with my heart. A relationship starts when someone comes and introduces themselves to me—my relationship with Jesus started when He introduced Himself to me. That allowed me to know the One who was raised from the dead and to know His purpose—to raise me with Him to the glory of God.

This creates a chain reaction inside my heart. It begins with having a relationship with Jesus. Before I can do that, I need to acknowledge, confess, and repent of the sin in my life, so Jesus can wash my heart clean. Then He will reorder my heart, so I am joyful, thankful, and content. While repenting of my sin and accepting Jesus as my Savior solves my personal problem, realizing the grace that Jesus gives solves all our problems. Grace is the lighter fluid that causes thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. This causes my heart to be renewed each day, prompts rejoicing and extreme thankfulness, and produces the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: The passage tells me to fix my eyes on what is eternal and not on what is temporary. What is temporary? Matthew 6 states that worldly treasures, my body, and this life on earth are all temporary. What is eternal? God, Jesus, my home in heaven, my relationship with God, the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness He clothes me in (Isaiah 61:10) are all eternal things. What is the result of focusing on eternal things instead of temporary things? I become extremely thankful when I focus on God’s grace and just how much I don’t deserve what He has given to me. Yet He loves me so much that He gave it to me anyway. This inspires me to rejoice, praise Him, and feel completely at peace. I can fix my eyes on Jesus in any circumstance—whether I have just received good news or if I am being persecuted.

Lord, this all starts with acknowledging Your grace in my life. I want to do that today!

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman