Saturday, June 21, 2008

Photobucket God's Medicine ~ It's HIS Idea!

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverb 17:22 KJV

The original removes the word “like”. It literally says, “A merry heart does good medicine”. Merry in this verse means “joyful, glad, to show joy, those who rejoice” (8056).

Joy is far deeper than “happy emotions”; however, this word does specifically encompass showing joy. It is said that the average toddler will laugh at least 400 times a day. The average adult laughs only 68 times a day. It is good for us to cultivate an attitude of joy and gratitude. It is good for us to “show joy” even on “those” days that are less than joyful from our natural perspective. It does US good.

But a broken, stricken, wounded (5218) spirit dries our bones. Could it be that God commands us to “Choose Joy” (James 1:2), “Rejoice Always” (Phil 4:4), “In Everything Give Thanks” (I Thess 5:16) because he KNOWS that doing so is medicine to our wounded spirits?

It is interesting that the word merry can also mean “those who rejoice”. Those who rejoice do good medicine. I so want to be a balm, an agent of healing to those around me. This appears to be a good place to begin.

I am making a conscious effort to show joy and to cultivate a merry heart even when I feel dry and wounded. I’m not sure how God does it; I only know that time and again He meets me with gracious healing as I begin to exercise my less than merry heart.

Old Testament through New Testament we see a thread of joy. It’s important if God had it repeated so many times. I plan to up my laughing stats. On those days when I can’t manage laughter, I plan to smile more. This will be good for me as well as for those around me.

{I've been asked to post weekly devotionals on SHS and finally realized I could cross post them here too. }

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©2008 D.R.G.