These Light & Momentary Afflictions...

Most of us have been in desert times... Those times where we feel like God has been completely absent from our lives or we feel like the Israelites who are crying out against God.  This song has been a comfort to Danielle and I as we sought God through the desert.  In the bridge of the song, John Piper speaks on 2 Corinthians 4:17-18:

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, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I don't know where all of you are at, but I hope this song comes as an encouragement to you right where you are.  Deserts are meant to be a blessing.  Israel wandered through the desert so that they could take hold of the promised land.  Jesus went through the wilderness and received the power for His ministry.

This passage is from the book How To Worship A King and has given Danielle and I clarity on why we are going through the desert. 

God intended the desert time to be a blessing, but they refused to receive it, so He used the same desert to wring the complaining, faithless, bitter, idolatrous attitudes out of the people of God.  Deserts train us to praise God because of who He is regardless of our circumstances.  Deserts teach us to praise Him for what He will do, and to be grateful for what He is doing.  Deserts prepare our hearts to be able to receive and hold onto the promises of God.  Each of us has a promised land we are being prepared for, and God is very patient.  It is our job to to enter the desert  with open hearts and minds so that we can receive the lesson God intends for us to learn.

If you are in a desert right now, take heart.  It was not designed to crush you.  It was designed to lead you up the mountain so that you will know God.  We only die in the desert when we refuse to come closer to God.

I pray that your hearts are being prepared to receive and hold onto the promises of God.  Take heart... God is preparing for you an eternal weight of glory.

- Rick