The Bible says that a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. (Proverbs 17:22) It also says that God wants us to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. (3 John 1:2)
This proverb states that a merry heart is good for us like a medicine.
· A medicine often soothes.
· A merry heart soothes us and anxiety is reduced.
· A merry heart also soothes our attitude so that we respond properly to people.
· A medicine often reduces pain.
· A merry heart reduces the pain of hurt feelings, failed expectations and misunderstandings.
· A medicine also makes one feel better, especially when infection is removed.
· A merry heart makes us feel better about the situations with which we are confronted.
·
Our emotions cause us to sweat, to weep, to tremble. Our emotions cause us to turn white with fear, red with embarrassment, purple with anger, and green with nausea. Our emotions really do effect us physically.
So the proverb is true. If you’re joyful in your heart, then that is good medicine. But if you’re not joyful, if your spirit is broken, then it dries up your bones. You become old & tired, & a person no one wants to be around.
Think about it. Who are the people to whom we are attracted? "Gloomy Gus" who walks around with a frown on his face? The person who sees all the bad things in the world, who is thoroughly convinced that everything is going to fall apart? Is that the kind of person with whom we love to spend our time?
No, not at all! We are attracted to the person who has a smile on his face, & joy in his heart.
We may encounter bad experiences in life. Do not be discouraged for we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
Sowing in Abundance....Paying Forward
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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Clothe Yourselves With Humility
"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)
Simply said, humility means being of low estate. It means seeing others as higher than our self. The word (tapeinoo) literally means "to level a mountain or a hill." Humble people are those who have no hills sticking up. They are not filled up with the hot air of arrogance and pride. They are not people who clamor to be President or Prime Minister. Jesus told the Jews that when invited to special dinners, they should assume that they were to take the seats that are for the least important people (Luke 14:7-11).
Luke 3:2 (a quote from Isaiah 40:3-5) tells what the mission of John the Baptist was; "the voice of one crying in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled up, every mountain and hill made low." John’s mission was to preach a gospel of repentance -- of humbling oneself before the almighty God, so that people could receive the gospel of Salvation. His mission was to "fill in the valleys and flatten the hills."
C. H. Spurgeon wrote, "The whole treasury of God will be made over by deed of gift to the soul that is humble enough to be able to receive it without growing proud because of it. God blesses us all up to the full measure of what is safe for Him to do. If you do not get a blessing, it is because it is not safe for you to have one."
That life is most mature in the sight of God that is most childlike. That service the greatest of all that most humbly becomes the slave of all. Only the humblest of persons can walk closely with God. Only the empty, thirsty persons can be filled, and only those who are absolutely nothing in their own sight can be trusted with frequent miracles.
Measure your humility by your hunger for Jesus to get ever more glory, by your burning desire that His name be exalted.
No, we do not all learn humility; for humility is a joyful, happy thing; humility is fellowship with God constantly renewed in hope. Whatever may have been my faults and my follies I can always start afresh. Humility confesses its sins and takes from the unmerited goodness of God the fullness of His free forgiveness, and, like a child, is happy again, ten thousand times over happy again; joyful in the sense that God loves me, joyful in the sense that He gives me over and over again my fresh opportunity. Charles Gore
If I would like to please God, I am going to have to do it on his terms, and his first requirement toward holiness for his children is to be humble. Humility before God does not exist if not proved before men.
"I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility." (John Ruskin)
Simply said, humility means being of low estate. It means seeing others as higher than our self. The word (tapeinoo) literally means "to level a mountain or a hill." Humble people are those who have no hills sticking up. They are not filled up with the hot air of arrogance and pride. They are not people who clamor to be President or Prime Minister. Jesus told the Jews that when invited to special dinners, they should assume that they were to take the seats that are for the least important people (Luke 14:7-11).
Luke 3:2 (a quote from Isaiah 40:3-5) tells what the mission of John the Baptist was; "the voice of one crying in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled up, every mountain and hill made low." John’s mission was to preach a gospel of repentance -- of humbling oneself before the almighty God, so that people could receive the gospel of Salvation. His mission was to "fill in the valleys and flatten the hills."
C. H. Spurgeon wrote, "The whole treasury of God will be made over by deed of gift to the soul that is humble enough to be able to receive it without growing proud because of it. God blesses us all up to the full measure of what is safe for Him to do. If you do not get a blessing, it is because it is not safe for you to have one."
That life is most mature in the sight of God that is most childlike. That service the greatest of all that most humbly becomes the slave of all. Only the humblest of persons can walk closely with God. Only the empty, thirsty persons can be filled, and only those who are absolutely nothing in their own sight can be trusted with frequent miracles.
Measure your humility by your hunger for Jesus to get ever more glory, by your burning desire that His name be exalted.
No, we do not all learn humility; for humility is a joyful, happy thing; humility is fellowship with God constantly renewed in hope. Whatever may have been my faults and my follies I can always start afresh. Humility confesses its sins and takes from the unmerited goodness of God the fullness of His free forgiveness, and, like a child, is happy again, ten thousand times over happy again; joyful in the sense that God loves me, joyful in the sense that He gives me over and over again my fresh opportunity. Charles Gore
If I would like to please God, I am going to have to do it on his terms, and his first requirement toward holiness for his children is to be humble. Humility before God does not exist if not proved before men.
"I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility." (John Ruskin)
Friday, June 14, 2013
Resist The Devil
"Resist the devil and he will free from you." (James 4:7)
Many people have the wrong idea concerning the word "Resist". The word does not mean to dismiss or ignore Satan. It rather refers to active combating our enemy. This is not a task to be taken lightly, knowing that our enemy is a cunning and relentless adversary. He will decieve us through lewd temptations or fiery darts
Great men of God like Job, Joshua, Daniel, David and apostle Paul were not immune to the wiles of the devil. Even Christ, the Son of God was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
Satan wants to keep us from fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. He wanted to keep us from using the power of God to over his attacks. He wanted to keep us under his control.
But praise be to God. We are believers and we are spiritually commissioned and empowered. We have the power to live a victorious, fruitful and godly lives. We have the power to neutralise them at all cost.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:12)
Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare and suffering. Those who would prove themselves to have true grace, must aim at all grace; and put on the whole armour of God, which he prepares and bestows. The Christian armour is made to be worn; and there is no putting off our armour till we have done our warfare, and finished our course. The combat is not against human enemies, nor against our own corrupt nature only; we have to do with an enemy who has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls. The devils assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts. We must resolve by God's grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we give way, he will get ground.
"Every time we say no to temptation, we become stronger."
Many people have the wrong idea concerning the word "Resist". The word does not mean to dismiss or ignore Satan. It rather refers to active combating our enemy. This is not a task to be taken lightly, knowing that our enemy is a cunning and relentless adversary. He will decieve us through lewd temptations or fiery darts
Great men of God like Job, Joshua, Daniel, David and apostle Paul were not immune to the wiles of the devil. Even Christ, the Son of God was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
Satan wants to keep us from fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. He wanted to keep us from using the power of God to over his attacks. He wanted to keep us under his control.
But praise be to God. We are believers and we are spiritually commissioned and empowered. We have the power to live a victorious, fruitful and godly lives. We have the power to neutralise them at all cost.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:12)
Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare and suffering. Those who would prove themselves to have true grace, must aim at all grace; and put on the whole armour of God, which he prepares and bestows. The Christian armour is made to be worn; and there is no putting off our armour till we have done our warfare, and finished our course. The combat is not against human enemies, nor against our own corrupt nature only; we have to do with an enemy who has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls. The devils assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts. We must resolve by God's grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we give way, he will get ground.
"Every time we say no to temptation, we become stronger."
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