Above the Scaffolding
2 Corinthians 4:17–18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While 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.
Thought:
Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling was hidden for years behind scaffolding. Visitors saw dust, boards, and uncompleted work, but just above that scaffolding, a stunning work of art was taking shape. In the same way, much of God’s work in your life is hidden behind the scaffolding of weakness, sickness, limitation, and unfinished stories. What you can see looks messy and incomplete. Yet above the scaffolding, the Master Artist is shaping something glorious.
Paul says our present afflictions are working for us, not against us, as we fix our eyes on the unseen. Trials are not wasted. God uses them to deepen our faith, purify our desires, and prepare us for a glory that is eternal. When life feels like a tangle of beams and boards, you can choose where to direct your gaze. You can stare only at the scaffolding or lift your eyes in faith, believing that the unseen hand of God is painting something beautiful. Walk through today with the quiet confidence that your story is not finished and that what God is crafting will one day be revealed.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when all I can see is scaffolding, remind me that You are still at work. Give me eyes of faith to look beyond what is seen and temporary. Use my present afflictions to work in me a deeper trust and a stronger hope. I surrender the unfinished parts of my life to Your wise and loving hands. I believe that one day Your masterpiece will be revealed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While 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.
Thought:
Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling was hidden for years behind scaffolding. Visitors saw dust, boards, and uncompleted work, but just above that scaffolding, a stunning work of art was taking shape. In the same way, much of God’s work in your life is hidden behind the scaffolding of weakness, sickness, limitation, and unfinished stories. What you can see looks messy and incomplete. Yet above the scaffolding, the Master Artist is shaping something glorious.
Paul says our present afflictions are working for us, not against us, as we fix our eyes on the unseen. Trials are not wasted. God uses them to deepen our faith, purify our desires, and prepare us for a glory that is eternal. When life feels like a tangle of beams and boards, you can choose where to direct your gaze. You can stare only at the scaffolding or lift your eyes in faith, believing that the unseen hand of God is painting something beautiful. Walk through today with the quiet confidence that your story is not finished and that what God is crafting will one day be revealed.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when all I can see is scaffolding, remind me that You are still at work. Give me eyes of faith to look beyond what is seen and temporary. Use my present afflictions to work in me a deeper trust and a stronger hope. I surrender the unfinished parts of my life to Your wise and loving hands. I believe that one day Your masterpiece will be revealed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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