Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man: A Daily Devotional

by Walter A. Henrichsen

SEPTEMBER 26 Day 270 Inner Renewal “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” II Corinthians 4:17-18 Two things take place simultaneously in almost every person’s life, irrespective of their sex, race, or religion: The older they become the more their capacity decreases while at the same time their responsibility increases. These two lines of increased responsibility and decreased capacity usually cross in a person’s forties. Two things can take place simultaneously in the life of Christ’s followers: The older they become the closer to physical death they are and the more spiritually alive they become. Paul says this takes place because they look not to the seen, but to the unseen; not to the transient, but to the eternal. You cannot experience the inner renewal that makes you increasingly more alive in Christ without setting your focus on the eternal. If you awaken in the morning thinking about transient matters, such as how you are going to survive in a hostile environment, you will not experience inner renewal. You must, when facing difficulties and hostilities, look to the unseen, hoping in what God has promised in the life to come, rather than “this slight momentary affliction” facing you. God promises that such afflictions prepare you...