For those of you out there that are feeling down because you feel the world has done you wrong or you feel insignificant in a world that doesn't seem to care, try saying the following words to yourself:

"I can choose to wallow in self-pity over the extreme degradation I have had to endure in my life or I can map out a better future where I am applauded for what I do and say. I can come to know the love that God has given me as I seek His answers, so that I can share what I have learned with others who will appreciate it."

We all feel depressed at times at what the world dishes out. Job stated it well in Job 7:3-6 (NASB), 3 "So I am allotted months of vanity, And nights of trouble are appointed me." 4 "When I lie down I say 'When shall I arise?' But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn." 5 "My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt; My skin hardens and runs." 6 "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And come to an end without hope."

Job must have felt like he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. He must have felt like his life was futile, like a lot of us feel as we trudge on ever faster in the rat race of life.

But life can be more hopeful. We read in Romans 5:3-4 (NIV), 3 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;" 4 "perseverance, character; and character, hope."

So when we build character by what we learn, we learn hope. When we persevere, no matter how bad life can get and no matter how much we suffer in the hands of others who try to do us harm, we build the kind of character that may or may not impress others. But that does not matter who we impress. We need only to impress ourselves.

But it seems to be the human condition to look to others for recognition and support rather than looking for that support from God. Look at all the people that make a big deal out of having a fast super sports car. So many people want it for the power and the prestige they think they will get from it and the respect they are deluding themselves into thinking they have with steel and rubber and plastic.

But does wealth define a great person? We read the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:22 (NIV), "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of his life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."

It is interesting that Jesus used the phrases, "worries of his life" and "deceitfulness of wealth" in the same sentence. I think that is what a lot of people actually worry about, and that is worrying about whether wealth will come, never realizing that wealth does not bring perseverance, or character or hope.

We can never dream of understanding our true path in life if we are ever wondering what it would be like if we were rich. Trying to be rich clouds our judgment and we become slaves to money.

God did not mean us to be that way, but we are anyway. We fight it often and delude ourselves sometimes into thinking that money is not all that important. But yet we spend most of our lives trying to acquire more of it at the price of our own salvation.

So how do we get more hope in our lives? We do it by persevering and trying to understand our place in this world. It is not acquired through wealth that pads our pocket, but by the wealth that God gives us every day with His love and understanding.

It is so easy to judge others and claim we know everything. There are so many people out there that do not wish to learn and at the same time wish they knew more. It is an interesting paradox to behold. It confuses us when others are this way, and their arrogance is like a noose around our necks or like a thorn in our side.

But yet we endure. We try to pray for them. That they will understand the errs of their ways. But sometimes we hope in vain because they think they know everything.

Look at all the books in some of the largest university libraries and you can begin to realize just how little we really know. We can be overwhelmed by what we do not know. But yet arrogance will make others think they know everything. It is they that need to be prayed for.

I can only hope for world peace. I can hope for a world where arrogance is not considered by some to be the only way of life. I can hope that I will be blessed so that I might endure another non-believer who tries to snuff out the word and God's love, but is only like a scared little puppy wishing somebody will know and understand their plight.

But suffering produces perseverance. You can not have the second one without the first one. Human suffering makes us think more clearly to find solutions that elude us. Suffering molds us and we learn from the mistakes that cause suffering. But often we forget what we have learned and once again repeat the same suffering.

So when you feel down and you need a good pick-me-up, look to the Lord and pray for understanding and for hope.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to seek your loving kindness in a world that often forgets I exist. Give me hope. Help me to handle the suffering. Help me to persevere and be stronger. Help me to build character so that I can share it with others. And help give me hope so that no matter how bad things are, the hope that you give me is understood by those around me, so that they can be rewarded for their kindness and help the world to be more understanding of that kind of hope. Help me in this coming week to seek you and share Your love with others. Thank you for all your many blessings. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2005 Bryan Hill