Joy Is A Matter of the Eyes

“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.” (De 26:11 AV)

The good things God gives don’t always fade away.  There are good things that remain.  It is those good things in which we should always rejoice.  Yes, there are hard times.  I agree with Job when he declares that man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward.  However, no matter how much trouble we are born unto, there are still good things for which we can rejoice.  Perhaps this is a commandment because we are prone to see only those things that are not good.  We dwell on those things and because we do, we cannot rejoice.  Perhaps our admonition should be that when things get hard, think on those good things so that we can endure through the hard things with joy.

When we stop and take inventory of our lives, if we are honest, we can see the hand of God’s blessings all over our lives.  The problem is, we are not acclimated to look for them.  One of the traditions that families have at their Thanksgiving meal is to give a testimony to one thing for which they are grateful.  Young people and guys usually groan at such a task.  The young people do so because it seems too irrelevant and manipulative.  The guys have a hard time with it because we have to get in touch with our emotions.  Or, at least that is how we see it.  Some struggle to come up with one thing.  How about looking at the table in front of you?  Or, the family God has given?  What about the clothes on your back?  Most importantly, what about salvation?  How about the relatively good health you enjoy?  Or, how about the country you live in?  Perhaps a reflection of God’s grace is in order.  What about the forgiveness of sin that comes by the blood of Christ?  What about the blessings of prayer?  How about the indestructible word of God which few generations had so readily as we?  Our culture tempts us to be discontented and discouraged because it is trying to sell us something which will overcome it.

The context above is the general attitude the nation of Israel was required to have once they entered the land of Canaan.  An attitude which their forefathers failed to have, and which cost them their inheritance.  Because they murmured in the wilderness and failed to live in faith, God required that generation die off in the wilderness so that a new one could take its place.  A new generation that would be grateful for whatever the LORD provided even if they were still in want of other things.  A nation that was willing to walk in obedience and faith so that God could bless them more and more.  Perhaps it is not about the lack of blessings, but our neglect in numbering them that is the cause of our discouragement.