PLAY THE GLAD GAME

November 29

PLAY THE GLAD GAME

Psalms 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

What is the best way to lift our soul out of the dumpster of discouragement and doubt? What is the best antidote against the devilish lies that cause our spirit to be cast down?

Let’s sit now and play the ‘Glad Game Let’s bring to our mind all the wonderful things that we have. Now let’s imagine them all gone. Now bring them back again. Don’t we feel better already?

How often do we thank God for our gift of sight? I read this story the other day about a group of visitors at a summer resort who watched the sunset from the gallery of the hotel. A fat, unromantic-looking man had lingered until the last glow faded, & had seemed thrilled through & through by the beauty of it all. One guest, more observant than the rest, wondered about this, & so at supper she said to this man, who sat next to her, "You certainly did enjoy that sunset, Mr. B. Are you an artist?" "No, Madam, I'm a plumber," he responded with a slow grin. "But I was blind for five years."

Oh, but to remember the Lord in a spirit of thankfulness is not the natural inclination of man’s complaining and insatiable nature. It takes a conscious effort to command our soul to stop whining, and to rather remember all of His goodness towards us. Every step we take without falling is a miracle of God’s creation. It is even more of a miracle when we take those steps in the right direction: away from your sinful condition.

May we remember His goodness everyday by choosing to thank Him for all that we have-- for every aspect of the conditions of our life. By the same token, may we choose to ignore what we think is denied to us and that makes us grumble and complain. Will not this different frame of mind bring our soul back from the slough of self-pity? A grateful and thankful heart is the key out of the dungeon of despair.

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.