Looking to the Unseen

 

While we look not at the things which are seen, 

but at the things which are not seen: 

for the things which are seen are temporal; 

but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

II Corinthians 4:18

Everything you see with your eyes has an expiration date.  If you can hear, touch, taste, smell or see it, it's going to decay at some point in the future.  Nothing on this earth lasts forever.  In the United States of America it's the law to post the expiration date on anything that is going to be used for human consumption. Your house will one day crumble to the ground. Your vehicle will cease to operate and begin to rust, fall apart and eventually turn back to the earth. The body that we put so much effort into making look, smell, feel good, will one decay and turn back to dust, for it is the law of God - from dust thou art and to dust shall you return.

Jesus told a story about a man who had great possessions and had gathered in a great crop. His crop was so great that his barn could not even hold all the abundance.  He was so proud of himself, that he said to himself, "Soul take your ease." He even decided that he would tear down his barn and build a larger storehouse.  But that evening, his life was taken from him, leaving his abundance to someone else.

People today work so hard to create a name for their self and to amass as big a fortune as they can.  There are monuments built to tyrants, as well as renowned people which have stood for centuries.  But one day, if the earth continues for millennia, no one will even know that there was even a pebble in that spot.  One day, the person's fortune will be left to someone else to enjoy. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. (Matt 5:19-20)


The Apostle Paul charged us that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.  The writer of Proverbs stated, Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5)  At some point, your memory will cease to exist.

The only thing that is guaranteed to exist eternally is the Word of God. Heavens and earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away. (Matt 24:35) God's Word is more apart of Himself than your finger.  Your finger could be cut from you and decay and no longer be a part of you, but the Word of God is God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) And the only way to inherit eternal life is to have that Word abiding in you. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7) It's not only abiding in Christ, albeit that is a very important part of the equation, it's also having His Word abiding in you. David said, Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)


I have seen many people take the Bible (the physical book with binding and pages or Torah Scroll) and make it almost into an idol.   I believe in utmost respect to the physical book. I was taught not to set things on top of the Bible, or lay it on the floor, never to be irreverent and disturb someone who was in Bible study.  However, people believe that their version is the only version and what is truth is most versions are a translation, which, bear in mind, is prone to human interpretation.  The Word of God I speaking of, is living, breathing.  It is the person of Jesus Christ - the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15)  Therefore, we are exhorted, again by the Apostle Paul, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)