You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 ESV
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 ESV
Have you ever been around someone who is grumpy most of the time? Now when I am around someone like that I assume that they are just a miserable human being. It is sad that anyone would be that way, but we know that plenty of people in this world are like that. There are others who may not be grumpy, but they derive their pleasure from plotting evil against others. We know that this is not good, the Bible tells us in many verses of scripture that the evil will be destroyed. In John 10:10 we are told that the thief comes only to steal and destroy but that Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Aren’t you glad He did?
I am so thankful that God sent his only Son to earth, not only as an example of how we should live, but that He would die a horrible death in order to give a miserable sinner like me eternal life. I am so glad He did.
Now if we focus on the world, it is easy to become upset or stressed out. If we read the news reports and look at what our politicians do on a daily basis, this is enough to make us cringe. If you look at the horrific crimes that are being committed, it can be frightening. But praise God, we serve a God who has overcome the world. He tells us that there will be trouble for us when we are on planet earth but that we should not let this get us down because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
So, let’s look at a few things here. First of all, salvation is offered to anyone who wants it. No matter what you have done, you can cry out to God. We know that if we confess our sins that He is faithful to forgive them (John 1:9). We know that He loves us enough that He sent his one and only Son to die for us (John 3:16). He did this while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). We know that in God’s house there are many mansions and that if we accept Christ as our savior, one is prepared for us (John 14:2). We know that all things work out for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We know that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). So why should we not be glad?
We serve a risen Savior. We serve a God that loves us so much He sent his son to die for us. We serve a God that is there with his arms open wide just waiting for us to have sense enough to come to Him. We serve a God that loves us unconditionally in a way that is hard for me to wrap my head around. We serve a God that wants us to draw to Him so He can help us through this life and into an eternity spent with Him.
So today, my friend, I have just one question. Are you glad? Have you come to Christ and experienced the love and forgiveness that only He can give? Have you confessed your sins and been cleansed by Jesus’ blood? Have you obtained that peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7)? If you have, then I bet that you have a smile on your face that has become a permanent fixture. If you haven’t, well, maybe this is why you are grumpy and grouchy. Perhaps you know that you are missing something, but you don’t know what it is. But, that’s ok. You can still get the love, joy, and peace that comes from a life lived with Jesus Christ as your savior. You can still turn to God and let him wash away your sins and give you a new life and make you a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If you are unhappy because you have not accepted the awesome gift that God offers, it’s on you. You can have peace and joy in your heart or you can continue to be miserable. As for me, I will take peace and joy every time. I am so glad that God offers this to us and I am so glad that I finally had sense enough to take him up on it.
I hope you do the same, I promise you won’t regret it.
Have a great day!