Gloom and joy are totally opposite of each other; where one is present the other will quickly take flight. Gloom, despair, and all of their relatives come from Satan; how do I know that? Because joy, the very opposite, comes from Jesus, who in John 15:11 said, “These things I have spoken to you, That My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” The world around us in its fallen state is filled with darkness and pain that are conducive to gloom and despair; and even as Christians we go through dark places but we need not stumble into the worlds trap and wallow in despair and gloom. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” John 8:12. In Psalm 23:4 David says, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil; For You are with me”; he found hope in the midst of the gloom that was around him. Again he says in Psalm 112:4 “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness”. But, you say, I go through these dark and difficult places, how do I rise above the fray? By putting action to your faith and learning to worship God in spite of the trappings and surroundings. The Apostle tells us In 1 Thessalonians 5:13 “In everything give thanks.” No, he didn’t say for everything, but in everything. In Ephesians 5:20 where he says, “giving thanks always for all things…” according to the Greek word it should be over all things, above all things, beyond all things, across all things. From all places come “bringing sacrifices of praise to the house of the Lord” Jeremiah 17:26 (compare Hebrews 13:15), even when it is a sacrifice. When Mr. Gloom comes knocking at your door, send praise to answer!
Mr. Gloom
-By Rose Hill
Today Mr. Gloom came knocking at my door,
He said “The sun won’t shine anymore.”
I said, “Mr. Gloom you’re sure a bore”,
I don’t know what you have come for.
So I arose and put on a smile,
And praised the Lord for a good while.
Then Mr. Gloom just left right soon,
Because he didn’t feel at home in my room.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright by Thomas Nelson Co. and are used by permission.