2 Corinthians 4:18 “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The context of the above quoted passage of scripture deals with persecution that Christians incur in this life and how we should view it. Nevertheless the biblical principal that the apostle Paul teaches in this passage is the same one that Abraham used. Paul teaches us that we are not to look at that which can be seen i.e. our circumstances, just as Abraham chose not to look at his circumstances that could be seen. Paul goes on in this passage to tell the believer what we should look at, by telling us to look at that which cannot be seen. So what are the things that cannot be seen and how is it possible to look at them? Paul tells us that the things that cannot be seen are eternal, which clearly indicates to us that he is referring to the word of God, for the word of God is eternal and that is exactly what Abraham looked at i.e. the word of God. We look at the word of God by focusing our thoughts on what God’s word says on any given subject. In this passage the apostle Paul explains to us why we look at God’s word rather than that which can be seen, for he tells us that that which can be seen i.e. our circumstances, are temporary. In other words our circumstances are subject to change, whereas the word of God always remains the same. One of the reasons that our circumstances are temporary is because God’s power is able to change them to line up with what His word declares, once we exercise our faith in His word. Make no mistake, what we look at affects our thinking which ultimately affects our faith.
Michael E.B. Maher
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