There’s More
There are plenty of things we can see: trees, stars, mountains, oceans, people, penguins, our best friend's smile, elephants, skyscrapers, coffee beans, sunsets, and tulips, to name a few.
God created all those things. He made the natural world, as well as the laws that govern it.
But there are also things we cannot see: behind the breath of the wind, beyond the depths of the universe, beneath the foundations of love. Through Christ, all things were created—in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16).
And while our mortal eyes might not be able to see the wind or infrared light or the Spirit of God, we still experience their effects. Because there’s more than what meets the eye. There’s more beyond this life.
Paul’s friends, the Corinthians, were experiencing great hardship. They were being hunted and persecuted because of what they believed about Jesus—that He was the long-awaited Messiah. Some were even facing death. But Paul encouraged them to endure such fleeting trials with a hope that’s beyond this world. He wrote:
“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.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV
Human eyes can only see so much. Human minds can only grasp so much. But we can trust God with all that we cannot see or comprehend.
God is real. We might not be able to see Him today, with our physical eyes, but we can experience the effects of His life. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that you might live, and an abundant life awaits you—both on earth and in heaven. There is more beyond the here and now.
So, will you fix your eyes on what’s seen or unseen? Will you trust your five senses, or have the sense to trust in Him?
What’s Inside?
Throughout God’s Word, we see a lot of attention paid to the human heart. In fact, in Scripture, the heart was thought to be the center of physical and spiritual life.
In our current culture, the heart is often a metaphor for our emotions. But in the Bible, the heart represents the soul and mind—it’s a way of displaying wisdom and character. The heart in the Bible is a lot like how we think about the brain today, or a combination of the head and the heart.
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Luke 6:45 NIV
When Jesus speaks of the heart being a source of good or bad, He means that the things that we think about have a way of showing up in our lives. Our thoughts influence our outward actions.
Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.
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