Good Days In Bad Times

Life can be very difficult at times. It can be difficult most of the time. But our days can always be good. What kind of Pollyanna, pie-in-the-sky notion is that?  It is neither Pollyanna nor pie-in-the-sky, it is Kingdom Truth!

The circumstances of life do not determine the quality of one life, if it did only the rich and highly favored would be happy. But, in fact, many rich, powerful people who have everything are not at all happy. Conversely,there are many poor, powerless people who live with a song in their hearts. 

Consider this, as couple get older and look back over their lives,they often look at those early days, when they had nothing and so many things were working against them as some of their happiest days. How can that be?  It is not the external state but the internal state from which happiness and contentment flow. 

Listen to the words of the apostle Paul: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:16-18).  Prayerfully rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances. How, why?  Because the inward work of the Kingdom is so much greater and it's results are beyond time and circumstance. 

What gives the young couple in love so much joy despite the meager and often difficult circumstances is the hope born out of their love for one another.  What allows the Christian to have joy and a heart filled with gratitude, despite difficult circumstances is equally the hope born out to the love that exists between the believer and the Lord.

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Rom 3:5).  Jus'Sayn.