Develop the long term perspective       By Susan Barnes

"You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine ". Psalm 4:7 

During a drought in an agricultural community, it is hard to imagine a greater joy than rain or imagine a greater blessing than a bountiful harvest. Yet David in this Psalm is saying exactly that. He has discovered a greater joy than these things.

Bountiful harvests and material blessings give us an external joy whereas God can give us an inner joy that has nothing to do with the physical situations in our lives. One of the ways to cultivate this joy is to develop the long term perspective. "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
Regardless of our current circumstances God has already done so much for us in Jesus. We may have to agree with Paul and say we are sometimes perplexed, but hopefully we can also say we are not in despair (2 Corinthians 4:8). 

The cross gives us a certain hope. God really does love us and Jesus died to provide a way for us to be abundantly blessed. "No human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). This thought alone is enough to make us joyful, as well as eternally thankful.

Susan, an Australian pastor's wife, loves to enrich people's understanding of God. Contact