Merry Heart

Something To Think About:

by Elder Bobby Willis … 6-25-14

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

     Ever seen a dog with a broken spirit? – one that is beaten down to the point the dog no longer sees any reason to live so just mopes about.  Normally, you can judge the spirit of the dog by the wag of its tail.  I remember such a dog that even the wag of his tail had ceased.  We can get that way too.  The pressures of life get heavy.  We find ourselves beat down with financial problems, severe illnesses where there may seem there is no hope, depression, stress of every kind; even to the point our very bones seem to have dried up within us.  These are signs of a broken spirit; a spirit that needs hope and encouragement, even a merry spirit that would cause the old dog to lift his head and once again wag his tail.  What do we do when we find ourselves like this old dog?  We need someone to come along and pat us on the head, maybe rub us behind the ears a little, and give us encouragement.  Our spirit is so broken we feel alone, so alone we think there is no one to help; not even ourselves.   Solomon, a very wise man, once said “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine!”  Hard to be merry when our spirit is broken.  Maybe if someone came along and just grabbed us by the nap of the neck, pulled us up, and said, “Come on old boy, lets eat, drink, and be merry” it would help.  This would be really good, but it wouldn’t work unless the old dog could see the benefit of it all.   A merry heart does wonders for the body.  It helps to give us hope and the encouragement we need to press on and to deal with whatever comes our way.  Life is not a joke, it gets really serious at times; even to the point of us crying “Woe is me, Woe is me!”  Why not go find an old dog who needs cheering up and give him a pat on the head (encouragement – remind him of his blessings).  Then, rub him behind the head a little (don’t give up, our hope is based in Christ), speak to him in a merry, joyous tone of voice (usually results in tail wagging – even in humans), and help to renew his spirit.  

     Paul said in Ephesians 4:23, “be renewed in the spirit of your mind…”  Like the old dog, we need our spirit renewed from time to time.  Don’t wait till tomorrow.  Start the process now!  Lift up your head!  Meditate on God’s blessings.  Be thankful for the gifts God has given you in life.  Let a smile come on your face.  Pray for others who need a pat on their head or a rub behind their ears.  Then – Renew your own spirit by taking the right medicine prescribed by the Great Physician.

     Okay, here it is! Here are the three pills we all need to take daily:  

First Pill – John 16:33, “in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Second Pill – Matthew 9:2, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”

Third Pill – Matthew 14:27, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

     Remember! “A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.”  Here’s to a better and “sweeter” spirit.  Think about it!

Elder Bobby Willis

Editor: ShareTheWord

Mobile, AL.