“The Feast of Bitter Berries…”

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13

Pondering:
Sometimes it is so much easier to fall into the negative elements of life.
Sometimes it is much, much harder to focus on the joys of life instead.

Have you been there?
I’m sure we all have been there.

The Addiction of Bitterness:
Sometimes we settle for the bitter berries of life that only serve to poison our souls and litter our hearts with wounds of disappointment.  This can be an addiction.  We can focus so much on the negative things and the hurts that it becomes like a shark frenzy at the scent of blood in the water.  We need to break our addiction of bitterness.  It poisons us and leaves us shriveled, broken and unlikeable to others around us.

Do you focus on the bitter berries of life?
Have you engaged or entertained others who always seem to be negative in their attitudes and their perspectives of life?

ReFuel: 
The Apostle Paul empowers the readers of the letter of Romans  by telling them to trust in the Lord and the outcome of this would be hope, joy and peace!  If we feast on the right kinds of things, and trust in the right sources (or Source), we will find that we will be refueled, revived and full of a positive perspective once again!

We should take this verse in Romans to heart as well!
Read it again – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13

Questions to Ponder: 
What sort of struggles are you facing in life right now?
What are your frustrations?
What are your discouragements?
How easy is it for YOU to wallow in these frustrations and let them affect all other aspects of your life?
How do we break free from the negativity even in the midst of our frustrations and days of difficulty?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

May we recognize the times when we’re still feasting on the berries of bitterness instead of the righteousness and peace of the Lord.  May we change directions and habits in this regard so that we can truly live the life that is worthy of our calling.  The God of peace will sustain us even when the future doesn’t look so bright…He is with us!

Something more to ponder today!