The book of Proverbs says that “a
cheerful heart is like good medicine.”
Years ago I saw an old movie about a man who wanted to be a “serious
film maker”. He wanted to catch the
drama of life, the dark underside, that he thought shaped the fabric of
society. Then he got in trouble and
ended up in jail. While there the jail
had a movie night for the prisoners. The
movie was a series of cartoons. Having
been in jail he saw the dark underside of life and found it most unfulfilling
as a topic. Then when he saw everyone
who was so hard pressed in the jail having a great time of relief and laughter
at the cartoon movie night, he discovered that he had been looking in the wrong
place for what drove society. There was
enough sorrow. Laughter, a cheerful
heart, was indeed good medicine.
Abraham and Sarah had been married
for many years. He was 99 and she was
89. They had no children of their own. That had been a great sorrow to them
both. Then one day Jesus came
visiting. He was one of the three men in
Genesis 18. He came with a great message
of joy for them both. In one year they
would have their own son. Sarah sat in
the tent and laughed at the very thought of such an impossibility. God then told her that she would call her son
Isaac, which in Hebrew means “laughter”.
Every time she looked at her son she could think of how great God’s
grace was to give her a son even in spite of her doubt. She could laugh every day. God gave her a cheerful heart.
Anna Russell wrote a beautiful
praise hymn which isn’t sung much anymore titled “Wonderful, Wonderful
Jesus”. She talks about dreary days and
long nights such as Abraham and Sarah must have endured. God’s promise to them had included a child,
but a child had not come. Then one day
Jesus stopped by and everything changed.
With Jesus all the promises of God are yea and amen. Jesus said, “Next year you will have a
son.” And they did. Anna Russell’s hymn of praise lifts our heart
in adoration to the grandness of Jesus with this chorus, “Wonderful, wonderful
Jesus! In the heart He implanteth a song; a song of deliverance, of courage, of
strength – in the heart He implanteth a song.”
Let the promises of the grace of God fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord
implant a song in your heart today.
The Friday Benediction
Until Monday, my friends, may the
good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of
faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the
saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that
confession this weekend. Amen
You
may also enjoy this inspirational devotional book, The Gospel According to Molly,
available
here:
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