Rays of Hope ~ Tim Stockton

Some may say that they see the glass half empty while others will say it is half full.  Those who see it almost gone are typically labeled as more pessimistic.  They tend to believe that things will always work out negatively for them.  However, those who see the glass half full are said to be a little more optimistic and hopeful.  They try to see how some good possibly could come out of bad things that have happened. 

In the book of Job we can read about a righteous man that had some very traumatic events happen in his life.  He became very distraught and full of grief, yet he kept his faith and belief in God.  His wife even told him to just “curse God and die,” but he knew that was a foolish statement and he would not give in.  

Another person who suffered horrendous and unfortunate events was Joseph.  He had a belief from a young boy that God would use him in some great way but I’m sure he never thought that he would have to endure terrible things in order to get to the place where God then did use him in mighty and powerful ways.  

His brothers hated him and wanted him gone.  They threw him in a pit and eventually sold him into slavery.  Then he was a slave for a time until he was falsely accused and then thrown in prison for years. Being human there had to be times as he was sitting in his jail cell wondering why such atrocities had happened to him.  

However, even through the bad things he had to endure he realized that God was with him and was blessing him.  The day finally came that the impossible happened.  A former slave and prisoner who had been hated by his brothers and wanted dead was now second in command over all of Egypt.   

When Joseph finally revealed his true identity to his brothers he made a statement that needs to become a perspective we choose to live by.  He explained that what they had meant for evil, God was able to use for the good.  When things don’t seem to be going well in your life, or in the world just continue to trust in God. Realize in His timing we will be able to look back and see how His hand and His will was able to work through all the negative things that others or Satan himself tried to destroy us with.  When we trust in the Lord and place our faith in Him then we will be able to look at life from a Godly perspective that will help us have rays of hope. 

This was true a couple of years ago when I originally wrote this and it is still true today.  A few more positive quotes, “If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude” (Maya Angelou). “Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you” (Walt Whitman).  “I never lose. Either I win or learn” (Nelson Mandela). “Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without consent” (Eleanor Roosevelt). “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why” (Mark Twain). “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity” (Albert Einstein).  

God explained that when Solomon asked for wisdom when he could have asked for anything  that no one before and no one after him would be as wise as God made him to be and he said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” These will be the ones who are always pessimistic and never learning, nor making opportunities.

7-24-24 ~TRS