If you could place your life's trials on a scale, how much do you think they would weigh? 10-20 pounds, 100 pounds, a ton, even more? This life can so easily weight us down. Some seasons in life, the burden can be so very great.
I love to think about heaven. Just the thought of an eternity without pain or sorrow is almost beyond comprehension. I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin expresses this so well. But heaven is not just about the absence of evil, it is also about the presence of God - the glory yet to be revealed.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, "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." (NIV)
I've heard this verse many times before, but something new jumped out at me one day. Did you notice how it referred to the weight of eternal glory? Not only do we get to look forward to the absence of pain & sorrow - but however great the weight of our earthly sorrows, we will encounter a glory that weighs more than our troubles ever did. So much so that our earthly woes will appear light by comparison. And this is not temporary - but for all of eternity. What an amazing thought! Let that sink into your heart for a minute.
As I look back at the trials I've experienced - miscarriage, raising two kids with ongoing health issues (one of whom was miserable the first 8 years of his life), a mom who passed away after an 8 year battle with cancer, sitting in hospital rooms with family members who might not make it, as well as numerous other challenges. I think of the days when I was so weighed down by it all. The times when all I could do was sit and cry until I just couldn't cry any more. It is all a reminder that the weight of the trials I experience is in this life cannot compare to the far surpassing weight of heaven that is yet to come. O Glorious Day!
Janel
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