Are you Better than the Unborn?

Granted, Solomon became kind of grumpy old man; but, his writings are included in Holy Scripture and thus profitable. In one of his more melancholy moments, Solomon said, “If you can’t see the goodness and be satisfied with the goodness, it would be better for you not to have lived.”

  1. SEE THE GOODNESS (Ecclesiastes 6:6)

  2. BE SATISFIED WITH THE GOODNESS (Ecclesiastes 6:3).

Solomon also said, “A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

SUGGESTED PRAYER: Lord today, help me to focus on my blessings not my problems.

Fullness of Joy

Discouragement is an old enemy I have dealt with over the years. And yet, when I look in God’s word I see this is not God’s plan. Consider these three scriptures.

1 John 1:4 “These things we write to you that your joy may be full.”

Psalm 16:11 “In Your presence is fullness of joy.”

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

How do you get this joy? It comes from intimacy with Christ.

  1. Joy is found as we fellowship “with the the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3

  2. Joy is experienced in God’s presence. At His “right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

  3. Joy happens when we “abide in [Christ’s] love” John 15:10

So a question I must ask myself is, “Am I happy in the Lord?” And if I am not, then I know I must draw near to God. My joy or lack of joy reveals the level of my spiritual well-being. And if joy is missing, it should be like a flashing red light on the dashboard of my car, alerting me to danger and calling me to immediate action! “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

One day when Jesus returns we are going to have joy forevermore. Jesus promised, “I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22).

The Attitude of a World Changer

The Apostle Paul was accused of “turning the world upside down.” Clearly, he and his missionary brothers rocked the ancient world for Christ. How did they do it? We could look at their techniques, but today let’s only look at their attitudes. In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul acknowledged two attitudes we would do well to emulate.

  1. “We have such trust through Christ toward God,” (2 Cor. 3:4)

  2. “We have such hope” (2 Cor. 3:12).

Suggested Prayer: “God help us to have unbridled confidence in You and fill us with excitement about our God-filled future.”