Do you complain about thorns on the stem of roses or can you look past the thorns and be thankful for the beauty of the rose?
The current atmosphere in the United States is quite draining. Regardless of where you look or what you hear it seems that everything is coming up thorns instead of roses. When the country’s mood is so politically and socially toxic it can appear as if there is nothing to be thankful for. Yet, can we stop just for a moment and think about Psalm 9? King David wrote this psalm knowing he had personal enemies that would love to destroy him and his country but took the time to still be thankful. Why? The answer lies in the fact that David looked past the thorns and saw the rose.
•David could look past the thorns to see the rose was because of his relationship with God. David could see God!
• David could be thankful because God will judge the wicked.
• David could be thankful because God could be trusted in times of oppression.
• David could be thankful because God showed mercy to His people.
Does the same not hold true for us IF our relationship with God is not one sided? We can be thankful that a relationship is even possible with God because of His Son Jesus. We can be thankful that God is righteous in His judgments, assures us that He will never leave us alone in a dark cruel world, and that His mercy will always be available to us because of what Jesus of Nazareth accomplished. Regardless of our situations in life, we can be thankful that salvation is real and attainable. So may we also learn to look past the thorns and see the beauty of the rose.
Love & peace my friends…Stevo