THE MEDICINE OF A MERRY HEART
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones
(Proverbs 17:22, NIV)
Praising God anyhow, anytime or anywhere
A distinguished looking man was walking by a park bench when he overheard a boy praising God with enthusiasm. He stopped and asked, “What are you so excited about young man?” The boy replied: “O mister our God is so great, it says here in my Bible that God delivered his people from bondage and opened up a way through the Red Sea so they could cross over on dry ground!” Having a background in Bible knowledge, he sat down by the boy in order to enlighten him. “The scholars tell us that the Hebrew word translated ‘Red’ should be translated ‘Reed’ Sea. It was a marshy area of reeds adjacent to the Red Sea that often had only 6 inches of water in it. The people could have easily waded through it. It may not have been a miracle but a natural event.” The boy looked down at his open Bible with confusion on his face as the man stood up and started to walk away. He had only taken a few steps when the boy began to praise God even with more gusto. The man stopped and asked: “What are you so enthused about now?” The boy replied: “O mister, our God is even greater than I thought. He not only delivered his people but he drowned the army of Pharaoh in only six inches of water!”
Life is often not fair. Bad things can and do happen to good people. A sanctified sense of humor can help us transform tragedy into triumph, pain into praise. The greatest disappointments can become divine appointments and the most difficult circumstances can be a call to praise.
A young pastor was sitting in a restaurant eating lunch. He opened a letter from his mother he had just received. As he opened it a twenty dollar bill fell out. He thought: "Thanks, mom, I could use that right about now." As he finished his meal he noticed a beggar outside on the sidewalk leaning against the light post. He thought: "That fellow could probably use the $20 more than I." So he put the $20 back in the envelope and wrote across the top in large letters. "PERSEVERE!" So as not to make a scene, he put the envelope under his arm and dropped it as he walked past the man. The man picked it up and read the message and smiled. The next day, while the pastor was eating his lunch, the same man tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a big wad of bills. Surprised the young pastor asked him what that was for. The man replied, "This is your half of the winnings. PERSEVERE came in first in the fourth race at the track yesterday, and paid 30 to 1."
One never knows what a cheerful act of giving will bring forth.
All scriptural quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.
