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Devotional 9.19.25


This Is Not The End 

2 Corinthians 4:16–18

16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

 

Scripture Reading – Psalm 88

 

Psalm 88 stands alone in its darkness, ending without resolution. The psalmist voices raw despair, showing us that even unrelieved lament belongs in prayer. Yet the New Testament gives us a horizon beyond the psalm’s silence. Paul reminds us that though “outwardly we are wasting away,” God is renewing us inwardly. Our afflictions—though heavy—are “light and momentary” in comparison to the eternal weight of glory ahead. Together, these texts teach us the honesty of grief and the persistence of hope. Faith does not deny suffering; it carries it into God’s presence, trusting that beyond the darkness there is dawn. Psalm 88 allows us to name the night, and 2 Corinthians 4 assures us the night will not last.

 

Hymns often express truths that sustain weary hearts. Here I Am to Worship reminds us that in the darkness of life, Christ’s light still draws us near in adoration. My Jesus, I Love Thee frames even suffering as an occasion to remain devoted to the One who first loved us. Behold Him lifts our eyes away from despair toward Christ’s gentleness and sovereignty. And All Glory Be to Christ anchors us in a vision beyond our fleeting struggles, proclaiming that eternity belongs not to our failures or pain but to God’s glory. Each song, in its own way, echoes Paul’s words: our present afflictions are not final. Worship lifts our perspective, helping us remember that even in lament, Christ is worthy and hope is real.

 

Further reading: 2 Corinthians 4; Romans 8:18–25; Revelation 21:1–5; John 16:33

Reflection Questions:

1.     How does Psalm 88 give you permission to bring your deepest struggles before God without holding back? 

2.     In what ways do worship and hope in Christ reshape how you see present suffering?

Prayer: Lord, You know my heart when it feels weighed down by darkness. Thank You for giving me words in the psalms that express pain honestly. Yet thank You also for reminding me, through Christ, that suffering is not the end of my story. Renew my heart each day with Your presence. Help me lift my eyes to Jesus, trusting that eternal glory far outweighs my present trials. Let my worship rise even in weakness, bringing You honor. Amen.

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