Bitter or Better

Psalms 56:8-9 You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.

Let us stop and look around for just a moment. Do we see the evil around us? Do we see the pain and misery that surrounds us? Do we see the disappointment, distress, and depression in the lives of so many, even maybe our own life? If we focus intently enough, those of us who know Jesus, we will see the demonic activity that is prevalent in the world today. Now imagine that we receive news of a loved one that has passed away in death. We are expected to mourn, yet carry on with life. Imagine that now we are being falsely accused of some wicked crime we did not commit, and as a result are beaten almost to death. Those whom we expected to come to our defense are suddenly nowhere to be found? What do we do? How do we respond to such suffering? Who do we turn to? Is there not one person who will come and see us through it all? Will these experiences make us bitter or better? Well, I will say this first, that there is One who will not only be with us, He already is. He is the One who already experienced the pain of losing a cousin who was beheaded. Yet, He continued on the mission He was sent to accomplish. He saw the wickedness of the world and had confrontations with demons. He was falsely accused, beaten, His closest friends betrayed Him, and when it was all said and done, He gave His life for each and every one of us. His Name is Jesus, and on the third day after He gave His life, He took it back up, defeating death and the grave. In Him we already have the victory we need to be better when trials, tribulations, and sufferings come. If at the end of our sufferings we are bitter, then it was a choice we made. We have a God who walks us through each and every trial we will ever experience, and the best part is that He can relate to every single pain we experience. He too shed tears while He was here on earth, and He cherishes and keeps our tears. Let us always find comfort in the One who watches over us and walks with us. Let us be better, and not bitter, when God allows us to walk through the more difficult times of life. We have a Living Hope who has saved us so that we can be assured that in the next life will be free of all suffering, pain, and tears, because we will finally be with Him where He is, just as He promised (John 14).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).