By Naomi Mitchell
For the Carter County Times
Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” A cheerful heart causes good healing. What the Bible is telling us here is that your attitude, the way you approach the problems and trials of life, brings about good healing. The word merry means joyful or glad.
Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 12:25 says, “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop; but a good word maketh it glad.” The word broken means browbeaten, defeated, demoralized, depressed, discouraged, disheartened, humbled, oppressed, overpowered, weak, heartsick. Jesus said, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted.”
Our hope is in Jesus Christ. It is the confident affirmation that God is faithful, that He will complete what He has begun. To hope in God means to bind God’s promises to yourself. Hope intentionally wraps His words and truth around your heart, mind and life.
Romans 15:13 says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Hope means to have trust and confidence in God. Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Believe means you have trust and confidence in God. Abound means to be full, overflow with, be overrun with, be jam packed.
Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoicing (to feel great joy or great delight) in hope (confidence in God); patient (uncomplaining, calm, long suffering accepting delays or problems without becoming anxious) in tribulation (oppression, affliction, distress, trouble); continuing instant (happening immediately) in prayer.” James 12:2-3 says, “Consider (think carefully) it pure (perfect, simple, plain, true) joy (great pleasure and happiness and gladness), my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (patience).” Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusteth (is confident) in Him, and I am helped; therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth (feels great joy or great delight); and with my song will I praise Him.” Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say rejoice (be joyful, be happy, be pleased, be glad, be delighted, be overjoyed, be thrilled, celebrate, make merry, jump for joy).”
In both the Old Testament and New Testament, the words translated as joy means much the same as the English word: gladness, cheerfulness, calm delight. True joy is the response of delight to what God delights in. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.”
It was with the joy that was set before Him, through His pain, through His griefs, through the cross and shedding His blood, that He did everything for me that I might have abundant life and everlasting joy. It is with joy, through my pain, through my sickness, through my griefs, through my trials, through my heartaches, through my loneliness, my weariness, that I can, and I will, receive it by faith. John 15:11 says, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full (complete and running over, no lack).” AMEN! So Be It.
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB:JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
