40 Days Pondering the Fruit of the Spirit
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 32 | JOYFUL HEART OR A CRUSHED SPIRIT?
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 32 | JOYFUL HEART OR A CRUSHED SPIRIT?
JOYFUL HEART OR A CRUSHED SPIRIT?
Proverbs 17:22
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (ESV)
Everyone seems concerned – at least to some degree – about their health. People often think about eating better, drinking more water, exercising, and all the other things that are supposed to keep us healthy. We even go to the doctor for annual check-ups to get ahead of the curve if there’s a problem.
Why? Because sickness and disease can become unpleasant, painful, and even terminal.
Now you know that GOD (who created us) knows all there is to know about our frail bodies and what it takes for us to be happy and healthy, right? Then… do you ever wonder why He doesn’t give us more direction and help about staying healthy?
Well, HE DOES!
God’s “wise guy” (King Solomon) shares the connection between being JOYFUL and our health.
The above verse in Amplified Bible says: “A happy heart is good medicine, and a joyful mind causes healing”
Norman Cousins, back in the 1960s, returned home from an international working trip with a disease for which the doctors had no cure. He then decided to take action himself and at least die happy. So (the short version), he decided to take IV vitamin C and had friends bring him films of comedy… things which would make him laugh out loud. His laughter was so loud that the hospital made him either stop or leave, so he went to a hotel and continued his “laughter therapy.” Bottom line: after a death prognosis from the doctors, Norman walked out of the hotel, fully recovered. (He wrote a book about it, which became a movie: The Anatomy of an Illness.)
Here’s the bottom line: God KNOWS that we need JOY in our lives. It’s one of the FRUIT of the Spirit and is available to ALL of us (and can help keep us healthy).
Prayer: LORD, so many things in life are crushing my spirit; help me look for the JOYFUL all around me, and THANK YOU for JOY! Amen.
Proverbs 17:22
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (ESV)
Everyone seems concerned – at least to some degree – about their health. People often think about eating better, drinking more water, exercising, and all the other things that are supposed to keep us healthy. We even go to the doctor for annual check-ups to get ahead of the curve if there’s a problem.
Why? Because sickness and disease can become unpleasant, painful, and even terminal.
Now you know that GOD (who created us) knows all there is to know about our frail bodies and what it takes for us to be happy and healthy, right? Then… do you ever wonder why He doesn’t give us more direction and help about staying healthy?
Well, HE DOES!
God’s “wise guy” (King Solomon) shares the connection between being JOYFUL and our health.
The above verse in Amplified Bible says: “A happy heart is good medicine, and a joyful mind causes healing”
Norman Cousins, back in the 1960s, returned home from an international working trip with a disease for which the doctors had no cure. He then decided to take action himself and at least die happy. So (the short version), he decided to take IV vitamin C and had friends bring him films of comedy… things which would make him laugh out loud. His laughter was so loud that the hospital made him either stop or leave, so he went to a hotel and continued his “laughter therapy.” Bottom line: after a death prognosis from the doctors, Norman walked out of the hotel, fully recovered. (He wrote a book about it, which became a movie: The Anatomy of an Illness.)
Here’s the bottom line: God KNOWS that we need JOY in our lives. It’s one of the FRUIT of the Spirit and is available to ALL of us (and can help keep us healthy).
Prayer: LORD, so many things in life are crushing my spirit; help me look for the JOYFUL all around me, and THANK YOU for JOY! Amen.