A Confident Longing - The Promise of Lent Devotional

A Confident Longing

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.

2 Corinthians 5:2

PAUL HAD PLENTY of reasons to be weary in his body. He had been beaten numerous times, sometimes with whips and sometimes with bone-crushing rods. He traveled thousands of miles, had been stoned and left for dead, was shipwrecked three times, and spent long periods of time in prison cells and chains. He had been without food and drink, and he knew the extremes of cold and heat (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). His body had been through a lot.

Paul showed no inclinations to build a nice life and avoid the world’s troubles. In fact, he leaned into them. Much as an airplane heads into the wind to rise above it, many zealous servants of God throughout the centuries have willingly walked into moments of crisis rather than away from them. Yes, they grew weary in their physical bodies, but they knew a much deeper truth: The trials of the world never outlast the promises of the Kingdom. Suffering is temporary; glory is eternal. And the former often provides unusual opportunities for the latter.

In our season of preparation for Passion Week, we lean into the ache and heartbreak of this world rather than trying to flee from it. We do so for several reasons: to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, to obey his command to deny ourselves, to remind ourselves of what we’ve been delivered from, and to plant our feet firmly in the Kingdom we’ve chosen. These are profound statements for us to make, but often they happen not as results of our choosing but as the results of time and circumstances. We are blessed for claiming them willingly, but even when we don’t, we are blessed for responding to the pain with hope. The eyes of faith look toward heaven and eternity, even—or especially—when life hurts.

People without perspective have nothing but complaints for the trials of this age. People with heavenly vision have nothing but anticipation. We already know Jesus has overcome the world, and for that we carry an unusual—and, in the eyes of others, unreasonable—kind of joy. That joy is a remarkable testimony in a culture that rarely knows what to do with its pain. When we in these earthly tents look with confidence toward our heavenly dwelling, we become living witnesses to redemption, restoration, and the promise of the Kingdom.

PRAYER

Lord, grant that I would be such a witness. Strengthen me to endure suffering, give me courage to lean into life’s trials, and make my face radiate with the promises of eternity. Amen.

REFLECTION

Why do you think suffering drives some people away from God and draws others to him? What statement does our hope make to people who don’t have an eternal perspective?