Fix Your Eyes on the Unseen

"I knew that if I listened to this Jesus and followed him -- if I , like the disciples, left my fishing and my tax collecting -- he would lead me into treacherous territory, where every day would be an experience of danger and wonder at the same time: and adventure of dangerous wonder!" Michael Yaconelli

We serve a God who calls.  He called Abram to pack up everything and move to a place he had not yet seen.  He spoke to Moses through a burning bush and called him to go to Egypt to free God's people.  Moses had no way of knowing what was to come and where they would end up.  Jesus called his apostles to leave their professions and follow after him.  They had no clue where they were going or what was in store for them.  And just as God has called His people to follow after Him for thousands of years, He calls today.  His call is challenging. 

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  Luke 9:23

We are called to pick up our cross and follow our Savior.  We don't always know where He is leading us, but we know that He is worthy of our absolute trust.  We know that the cross is not a light load.  We know that the cross is not just two pieces of wood.  The cross is heavy.  The cross is rough.  The cross is painful.  They cross is a torture device.  The cross leads to death.  But our Savior has so much more in store for us!

How can our savior expect us to carry such a heavy load?  Because He has been there before.  He has gone before us and goes with us as we follow after Him.  He gives us the key to the journey...

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

The key to our journey is to fix our eyes on what is unseen.  So often we look up and we see a cross, we see pain,  we see suffering, and we see death; but God tells us not to fix our eyes on these things.  These things are only temporary.  There is something so much better that is ETERNAL!  

So may we answer the call of our God.  Though we may not always know where He is leading, may we pick up our cross, endure the light and momentary troubles, and fix our eyes on our Savior!