Faith, Hope, and the Unseen

About a year ago, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 popped up everywhere in varied ways...my devotions, a conversation, hearing a song or a prayer. But it was verse 18 that elicited my attention:

“We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

At first, it didn’t register that I should seek the Lord about why this was happening, or what His purpose was.

Then one day last summer, I received a beautiful card from a dear friend. Inside was a shiny sticker on which was part of the same verse. Hope in the Things Unseen jumped out at me. It was almost as if God said: “Put your hope in things you cannot see.”

I got the message. Humbled, it became clear how out of touch I had been. I began to search, wait, and hope for my next verse to arrive. It happened during the Apostles’ summer sermon series on Hebrews: 

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction
of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

No one loves a treasure hunt more than me! This led to cross-referencing Bible verses to know more about “things not seen,” “hidden things,” and the “unseen.” * Paul wrote about one of those treasures in 1 Corinthians 13:13.

“Now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Knowing I’m not the only eager one to find the unseen, I began to wonder. What causes these four words, faith, hope, love, and the unseen, to be linked together? 

HOW TO DISCOVER THE UNSEEN IN THIS PRESENT DAY
Where does one find the unseen? Does it occupy earthly space? Are humans able to understand the unseen while living on Earth?

To answer these questions, I first had to ask myself, do you really understand what hope is...from God’s perspective?  Looking up synonyms for hope, turned up abide, a synonym which means endure. Hope is not a flimsy wish...it hangs in there. Hope abides. It doesn’t give up. It withstands life itself.

Faith is found in our spiritual heritage. Just a few examples of not giving up are:

• Abraham believed in hope against hope that he would become a father to many nations; he was credited as righteousness.
• King David said, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered.”
• When Jesus hung on the cross dying, he prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
• In prison, Paul sang songs of praise and wrote letters of encouragement to the believers.

Worship and “the Unseen”

• The Holy Spirit’s presence in worship is such a sacred part of liturgy and crosses all barriers. God longs for us to come into His presence; He knows when we do, we will experience His unseen presence. 

Music 

• Listening to and singing Christian music infuses me with energy and a hopefulness that may have been lacking before. It is reassuring to me that while preparing this blog, these lyrics ran through my mind:

“My hope is built on nothing less

  Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

  I dare not trust the sweetest frame

  But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.”

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

  All other ground is sinking sand,

  All other ground is sinking sand.”

HOW TO GIVE HOPE TO OTHERS
Although hope is not a tangible gift, it is something that can be shared.

Encouraging Others
Encouragement, not false hope, gives others a sense of hope and affirmation. By encouraging “even the least of these,” we are being Jesus’ hands and feet. Just one note of encouragement can brighten someone’s day.

Praying with Friends
Prayer is the great equalizer, lifting us out of the doldrums and into the Presence of God. How can we not feel a bit more hopeful in His place of promise?  “For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I with them.” Mt.18:21

HOPE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AROUND THE GLOBE
Part of what cannot be seen are the people we will never see. Continual prayer for those we don’t know, reading His Word, and trusting Him fills those unseen gaps.

I recall a time, praying for a burden so deep, but the answer didn’t come. I must admit being discouraged. Even so, I prayed more. No answer. More discouragement. For years, I prayed continuously. Still no answer. Heartbroken, I continued to pray. Now, years later, answers are arriving...bit by bit! 

I am thankful for the unseen when tiny pieces of prayers are answered. Thankfulness leads to worship and praise. Suddenly, the prayer is not so important, after all. The King of Kings is preeminent. There is peace and hope in His unseen presence as He works all things together in His time.

Lord Jesus,
Although, there is so much more to learn about the unseen, I’m not giving up on it. I pray that others won’t either. Truly, all our hope is in you, the unseen, risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Jan O’Neal
April 26, 2020

Verses on Hope:
Job 17:15; Job 13:15
2 Cor. 4:16-18, 2 Cor. 5:7, 1 Cor. 13:12, 1 Cor. 13:7
Hebrews 11:1 
Psalm 112:7

Resurrection Then ... and Now

“At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.” Matthew 28:1-10

Imagine the emotional turmoil in Jerusalem during Passover Week. Even before Jesus’ arrest, the twin curses of confusion and chaos had been unleashed. Judas, one of the chosen, betrayed his King. Their Messiah had been unmercifully beaten and crucified. A living nightmare unfolded for the disciples, and Jesus’ followers. One can almost taste and smell the vile injustice and cowardice. Where were they to turn now?

Picture Mary Magdalene and the women—trudging to the tomb, hearts broken and numb. Most likely their minds recalled every conversation they had with Jesus. Perhaps, none could move beyond their grief. 

Mary must have felt panicked when she saw the stone had been rolled away. She wasted no time in running to tell Simon Peter and John to come see. John not only saw; he quickly determined that Jesus had resurrected and believed. 

As the men left for home, Mary remained weeping, not grasping the miracle. When she looked inside the tomb, she saw two angels who asked, “Woman, why are you weeping?” After explaining to them that her Lord had been taken away, she turned around and saw another man who was Jesus. But she didn’t recognize Him. 

Picture, for a moment, this sorrowful scene. Mary is beyond being emotionally distraught; she cannot recognize her Teacher, the very one for whom she is grieving. She is exhausted and mistakes Him for the gardener. But at the sound of Jesus’ voice, when He says, “Mary,” she immediately recognizes Him and replies, “Rabboni!” Her Teacher, who was dead for three days, was now miraculously alive. Mary’s belief in the fact that Jesus had resurrected makes her one of the first believers. 

The poignancy of this resurrection moment is so powerful it makes me want to stop and shout, Hallelujah!! But Jesus immediately gives Mary a directive and a mission: 1) “Do not cling to Me,” and 2) “Go tell My brethren I ascend to My Father and Your Father, and My God and your God.”  

If we look closer at Mary Magdalene, there are several things that speak of her faith. She was:

Devoted and Grateful
Jesus had cast out seven demons from Mary. She had been freed from the bondage of Satan, seven times over. Imagine the depth of her gratefulness! Jesus’ love had transformed Mary into a new creature, with a new attitude, and, most importantly, a new spirit. Her radical life-change directly impacted her devotion to and faith in Jesus. 

Listening 
Having a bit of ADD as a young girl, I recall my dad advising, “Listen up, girl.” Distraction is a black hole of befuddlement. Those were the times I lost the message and the meaning. It seems Mary’s born-again experience motivated her spiritually to listen to Jesus’ message.  His teachings directly impacted the things she heard so she could trust Him fully.

Faithful
After witnessing Jesus’ barbaric crucifixion, Mary’s grief and confusion became profound; this could have stymied her faith. The unsettling flashbacks could have overwhelmed her. But Mary’s faith in Jesus spoke of bold authenticity. She would not be moved. Ultimately, Jesus blessed her with His first post resurrection apparition.

In the face of adversity, such as our present pandemic, I tend to get distracted by the “what-ifs” and “whys.” Studying these events permits me to see things clearly from God’s perspective. The Resurrection comes into its proper focus.

Since Jesus is the Resurrection, His blood sacrifice cancels all sins for all eternity to any who believe. Resurrection is validation that we are God’s children and are part of His family.

Jesus’ resurrection frees us to boldly proclaim with full hearts: “Christ the Lord is risen today. Hallelujah! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

Lord Jesus,

Words cannot adequately express our thanks to You for the free gift of Eternal Life. Teach us to be effective Resurrection people every day of the year, so that You would be lifted high and glorified. We pray this in your holy name. Amen.
                                                                                                                
~ Jan O’Neal | April 12, 2020
                    
Bibliography:
Matthew 28:10
Luke 9: 31
Luke 18:31-33
Luke 18:34 
John 20:1-2, 20:11-16
Hebrews 11:1-3