For all that the Bible has to say about joy and rejoicing, there are a lot, far too many, sour saints. One has to wonder, “What in the world is wrong with us?”. Has God died? Are there no blessings to be found anywhere? Why then all the gloom?
J. R. Miller wrote: “There are those who take to gloom—as a bat to darkness, or as a vulture to carrion! They would rather nurse a misery—than cherish a joy. They always find the dark side of everything, if there is a dark side to be found. They appear to be conscientious grumblers, as if it were their duty to extract some essence of misery from every circumstance. The weather is either too cold or too hot; too wet or too dry. They never find anything to their taste. Nothing escapes their criticism. They find fault with the food on the table, with the bed in which they lie, with the railroad-train or steamboat on which they travel, with the government and its officials, with merchant and workman—in a word, with the world at large and in detail.
They are chronic grumblers. Instead of being content in the state in which they are—they have learned to be discontented, no matter how happy their lot! If they had been placed in the Garden of Eden—they would have discovered something with which to find fault! Their wretched habit empties life of all possible joy—and turns every cup to gall.”
You might not like it, but you know what he said is true. Just look around– better yet, look in the mirror! Do you really believe this is what God intended? Could He possibly be pleased with what He sees? Are you pleased by it? What are you going to do about it? If anyone on earth has a reason to rejoice, cause for contentment, and hope for happiness it is a born-again believer. Knowing all that Christ has promised and provided for us, we have no excuse for being sour. It should be said of every Christian, “ Whom having not seen , ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing , ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory“(1 Pet. 1:8)
