Light and Momentary Affliction

 How Much Longer Must I Endure?

  • As some of you may or may not be aware, I have been dealing with trying to get new glasses since January of 2023! I am extremely near sighted with double vision. I recently, in December, went through eye muscle surgery to help correct the double vision, which lasted initially, but now, once again I need my prescription updated to correct the issue by putting a prism in my lens. So, as I sit here, once again without glasses, living with life as a blur, I can’t help but wonder why? 
  • The other day, I found myself bemoaning my situation once again! But this time my negative emotions got the better of me. Why God? Haven’t I gone through enough? Why must I endure this again? Am I condemned to a life of blurry vision. Needing someone to take me everywhere I need to go? Will I ever see clearly again? Will my lenses ever be right? 
  • In the midst of my pity party, I came across two different Bible stories. Look at Job 30:16, “And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me.“ Job endured days of affliction, not just moments, but days! They took hold of him. What must that have felt like for Job? I can only imagine. But when negativity gets a hold of me; surrounds me, I can feel overwhelmed, pulled under, like a thin blanket that gives no warmth, the darkness envelopes me and my thoughts take me down paths I don’t want to go. 
  • ‭‭Then there’s  Luke 8:43 (ESV), “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.“
  • ‭‭For Twelve years! And NO ONE could help her! I imagine she must have dealt with loneliness, isolation and even depression,  for twelve years! According to Jewish law, she was unclean. Anything and everything she touched was considered unclean, for as long as the bleeding continued, (see Leviticus 15:19, 25). Twelve years without human touch. No socializing, no interacting with others. Complete separation. How did she cope? I wonder if she ever cried out, like David, in Psalm 13:1 (ESV), “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?“

  • ‭‭But, she had heard stories, of a man called Jesus, who they say is the “chosen one”, the Messiah , and He was coming near her home. She heard that He healed the sick. The blind had their vision restored, the deaf could hear, the lame could walk! Could He, would He heal her? It would come at great cost to her, it would be very risky, if someone saw her? She didn’t think about that, but instead she thought, if I could just touch the fringe of His garment(Luke 8:44). She took the risk! She believed! And she was healed! 

  • So what can we do in times when we feel like we are stuck in the mire of negative emotions? When we’re just over the challenges each day brings? Instead of giving into our negative emotions, we can look up. Like Psalm 121:1 says, ”I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?“


    • ‭‭We can remember our help comes from the Lord. We can remember He is our “keeper”. We can remember He is the one who holds our hand, He will help us (Isaiah 41:3). 

    • We can look to Jesus and remember, no matter what we may be going through or need to endure, ”…this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,“ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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