Scriptures: Psalm 121, 115:3, 18:30 , Proverbs 26:10, 3:25-26, Jeremiah 32:17

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you believe the glass is half-empty, or half-full? One thing that is common to every person and institution on earth is we have problems. You have problems and I have problems. The home faces problems, the church has problems, our government has problems, and our nation has deep problems. The answer to these problems is not going to be found in the hills of humanistic living, nor in the halls of higher learning, but in the heaven of a holy Lord.

In Christ, every Christian should be an optimist. If you are in a position where your only hope is God, you should not be pessimistic, because God has you right where He wants you. In Psalm 121 we find three truths we can use to build an ark to carry us through life's stormy seas, furious floods and all that batters us at one time or another. If you are feeling helpless or need help, or feeling hopeless and need hope, Dr. Merritt shares three pillars for a life that stands optimistically against the storm.

"In ancient days a soldier had two primary weapons.He had a shield and he had a sword.But his most valued weapon was the shield because that was his only defense, and the shield was always held in the left hand.So the most valuable part of a soldier was his right side.That is exactly where God always stands; at our most vulnerable point.The Lord always puts his strength at our greatest point of weakness.He deliberately takes up a position so he can defend us no matter where an attack may come from.That is why again every Christian should be an optimist.Psalm 18:30 says, 'He is a shield to all who trust in Him.'" --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: optimism, pessimism, happiness, hope, strength, struggle, doubt, helpless, hopeless, keeper, stand, strength, Paul Harvey, Kokura, atomic bomb, Nagasaki, preserver, evil, good, eternity, Frederick Nolan, Africa