October 29

Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked. — Ps 37:16 BSB

Your lot here on earth, dear suffering saints of the Most High, may be hard when it comes to outward matters. You may go through daily pain due to the rebellion and deep wickedness of your carnal mind. Grievous temptations might be your constant companion. Many a sharp thorn and painful brier may lie in your path, and the road may be so rough and rugged that at times you feel like the most miserable of all people. Indeed, that would be true, if not for the grace of God in your heart now, and the glory prepared for you beyond the grave.

Yet even if your afflictions and sorrows were a thousand times heavier, the words would still apply to you—“Happy, thrice happy, are you, O Israel!” Whom on earth could you possibly envy if you have the grace of God in your heart? With whom would you trade places, if the love of God has ever visited your soul? Look around you; fix your eyes on the man or woman who seems to have the most earthly happiness, and ask yourself—“Would I trade places with you, you butterfly of fashion, or with you, the gilded dragonfly who merely lives your brief life, basking in the sun for a few hours, only to sink into the dark and dismal pool that awaits you by evening?”

So, despite all your cares at home and abroad, despite all your woes and trials that sometimes make you feel like the most miserable person crawling through this valley of tears, would you trade places with anyone else? Would you switch with someone healthy, rich, or seemingly prosperous, if that person were lacking the grace of God?