What does it mean for you to fix your eyes on what is unseen? How does your hope in Jesus help you face the difficulties of life?
对你而言,何谓注视那看不见的呢?信靠耶稣如何帮助你面对生活中的艰难?
We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.2 Corinthians 4:18
原来我们不是顾念所见的,乃是顾念所不见的。-哥林多后书4章18节
A rare supermoon appeared in November 2016—the moon in its orbit reached its closest point to the earth in over sixty years and so appeared bigger and brighter than at other times. But for me that day the skies were shrouded in gray. Although I saw photos of this wonder from friends in other places, as I gazed upward I had to trust that the supermoon was lurking behind the clouds.
在2016年11月,夜空出现了罕见的超级月亮。这是近60多年来,月球在运行的轨道中与地球最接近的时候,因此显得特别大又特别亮。可惜当天我所看到的,只是被层层乌云笼罩的夜空。还好其他地方的朋友拍下了这奇异景观传给我,因此虽然我看不见这超级月亮,但我可以相信那奇异景观就隐藏在云层后面。
The apostle Paul faced many hardships but believed that what is unseen will last forever. He said how his “momentary troubles” achieve “an eternal glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Thus he could fix his eyes “not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,” because what is unseen is eternal (v. 18). Paul yearned that the Corinthians and our faith would grow, and although we suffer, that we too would trust in God. We might not be able to see Him, but we can believe He is renewing us day by day (v. 16).
使徒保罗曾面对许多艰辛和困境,但他深信所不见的才是永远长存的。保罗说他“这至暂至轻的苦楚”,是为了要成就“永远的荣耀”(哥林多后书4章17节)。因此,他定睛注视的不是看得见的,而是所不见的,因为所不见的才是永恒的(18节)。保罗渴望哥林多教会的信徒和我们都能信靠上帝,虽然受苦,信心却得以成长。我们或许无法看见上帝,但可以坚信上帝能使你我的内心一天新似一天(16节)。
I thought about how God is unseen but eternal when I gazed at the clouds that day, knowing that the supermoon was hidden but there. And I hoped the next time I was tempted to believe that God was far from me, I would fix my eyes on what is unseen.
那天,我看着灰暗的夜空,我知道天上确实有个超级月亮,只是被厚厚的乌云遮蔽了。这让我想到,虽然我看不见上帝,但祂却是亘古长存的。下次当我感到上帝离我很远时,盼望我仍能全心仰望那位我看不见的上帝。
Dear God, sometimes I feel you are far away from me.Help me whether I can feel your presence or not.Believe in the truth that you are always close to me.
亲爱的上帝,有时我觉得祢离我很远。求祢帮助我无论是否能感受到祢的同在,都能相信祢永远与我相近的真理。

2 Corinthians 4:16-18NIV

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 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.

哥林多后书 4:16-18 

 所以我们不丧胆,外体虽然毁坏,内心却一天新似一天。 17 我们这至暂至轻的苦楚,要为我们成就极重无比、永远的荣耀。 18 原来我们不是顾念所见的,乃是顾念所不见的,因为所见的是暂时的,所不见的是永远的。

INSIGHT 

灵粮透视

Paul’s call to ministry included the call to suffer (Acts 9:15–16). In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul described extensively his hardships. He was “hard pressed on every side . . . persecuted . . . struck down . . . always being given over to death” (vv. 8–11). Already adequately sustained by God’s sovereign power and sufficient grace (vv. 7–9), Paul was spurred on by God’s surpassing glory (vv. 16–18). Even though physically ravaged, God was renewing him every day. With eternity in view, Paul considered his sufferings as “momentary” because they would not follow him into his eternal life, and “light” because the reward that awaited him was far weightier (v. 17). Like Paul, we can look beyond our current troubles and see the “glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (v. 17 nlt).
保罗不仅蒙召去各处传道,还蒙召为主受苦(使徒行传9章15-16节)。在哥林多后书第4章,保罗详细描述了他的艰辛:“四面受敌,……遭逼迫,……打倒了,……常为耶稣被交于死地”(8-11节)。但上帝莫大的能力和丰富的恩典始终支撑着保罗(7-9节),使他因上帝极重无比的荣耀而得着激励(16-18节)。即使保罗经常身陷险境,但上帝却使他每日都得到更新。保罗从永恒的角度来看,认为他的苦楚是“暂时的”,因为这些苦楚都不会随他进入永生;而且也是“至轻的”,因为等待他的是那极重无比的奖赏(17节)。像保罗一样,我们也可以超越眼前的难处,看见那“极重无比、永远的荣耀”(17节)。
编辑:Sarah
校对:Snow
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