“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as 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.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
JOHN PIPER: “Paul claims in these verses to have found the secret of an experience that virtually everyone in the world wants to have. This is an amazing claim. . . And I am referring to the experience of not losing heart, but being renewed day by day. . . There are suicidal people in the world who want life to be over. But that’s because they have tried and tried, and they don’t think there is such a secret, or at least think it’s not for them. They have lost heart. They don’t think there is anyway to be renewed in hope and strength and joy. It’s too late. If you came here like that tonight, I am praying for you, that God would free you from that lie. The devil is a liar. But I pray that you will know the truth and be set free. Paul has found this secret. He is not a liar. There is a way not to lose heart. There is a way to be renewed day by day.” (Read more and listen to John Piper’s talk THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE SIGHT OF ETERNITY here: http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/do-not-lose-heart)
This is the same claim explored in a beautiful song by Josh Wilson “Before the morning” – that in our sufferings we still have a reason to sing, that joy is coming, the pain we feel is just the “dark before the morning”. Listen/read the lyrics below and be encouraged! Dare to believe!
BEFORE THE MORNING (Josh Wilson & Ben Glover)
Do you wonder why you have to,
Feel the things that hurt you,
If there’s a God who loves you,
Where is He now?
Maybe, there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending
Some day, some how, you’ll see, you’ll see
Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,
That you still have a reason to sing,
’cause the pain you’ve been feeling,
Can’t compare to the joy that’s coming
So hold on, you got to wait for the light
Press on, just fight the good fight
Because the pain you’ve been feeling,
It’s just the dark before the morning
My friend, you know how this all ends
And you know where you’re going,
You just don’t know how you get there
So just say a prayer.
And hold on, cause there’s good who love God,
Life is not a snapshot, it might take a little time,
But you’ll see the bigger picture
Once you feel the weight of glory,
All your pain will fade to memory
Once you feel the weight of glory,
All your pain will fade to memory
Memory, memory, yeah
sevennotesofgrace 
It took me along time to understand this, 15 years to be exact. Our first son passed away at 3 months of age and I spent many years being angry. Once I handed everything over to the Lord, my life changed. And we just celebrated our second sons first birthday this week. The song is beautiful!
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Oh so sorry to hear….but great that you are trusting God in the trial! Blessings!
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Yes we must trust in what God says in his word, but we cannot trust the way we feel. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul talks about “we have this treasure in jars of clay,” our bodies (mind, soul included) are altered by sin. Every baby is not necessarily formed perfectly, our bodies do not work as they did when first created in the Garden of Eden. Some people who suffer depression know the truth and believe yet their body does not cooperate with feelings of contentment. Maybe we need to learn to live with those feelings, joy could be something we know about and not necessarily feel every day. I will trust Gods words that there is an eternal life where I will feel great joy. (Just a thought)
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Yes the ‘morning’ may not come for quite a while
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