Overcoming Worry by Pete Briscoeنموونە

Already, But Not Yet

God created man because He loves good stories. — Elie Wiesel 

We’re living in an interesting chapter of the “Great Story” of human history. Eden is in the past. A great crisis emerged because sin separated humanity from a righteous and Holy God. Then came the climax of the cross where Jesus heroically sacrificed Himself so that we might have unity and intimacy with our Creator once more.

Is that the end of it? Not at all! Christ will return again, and human history as we know it will blossom into the full-blown Kingdom of God—reestablished throughout the universe, 100%.

But we aren’t there yet. We’re living in the “already, but not yet”—a finite season where the Spirit of God is renewing men and women who draw near to Him in faith. He makes grace known to us by transforming us from the inside out, even as the world and our own bodies weaken and wane.

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. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

How is your heart today? Are you worried about external fears and uncertainties? Or are you experiencing the peace of inner renewal?

Heavenly Father, give me eyes to see the unseen so that I might walk by faith in a decaying body through a world that is going from bad to worse. Open my mind to Your Word that I might be able to embrace this season of in-betweenness and celebrate what You have done in me through Christ. Amen.