“To be ‘happy’ or to ‘prosper’ is to have a solid foundation, to have a place to stand. For the Psalmist, that foundation is to delight in, meditate on, and to be constantly open to God’s instruction. Taking such a stand enables one to live with purpose and integrity in a world of confusion. It enables one to live with hope in a world full of despair, and it enables one to perceive the mystery of life where others may only perceive the misery of life.” – J. Clinton McCann, Jr.
Wow! I want to be the one who shares the hope “in a world full of despair,” and to “perceive the mystery of life where others may only perceive the misery of life.” As I travel the byways of life, the misery of life seems much more prominent than the mystery of life. Often I hear folks talk about how things are going wrong vs. right. It takes a conscious shift in the conversation to turn the conversation about face, doesn’t it?
How often do those same “misery of life” words come flowing out of my own mouth? I have to admit it’s true all too often in my own life and conversation. But why? I am blessed—I have food on the table, plenty of clothes in my closet, and a decent roof over my head. Then why would my mind and brain even court ideas of doom and gloom? I cannot say, other than my mind and brain must not be spending adequate time contemplating, meditating, delighting in, and memorizing God’s love letter (called the Bible) to me. For these shortcomings, I must confess.
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