Grandma Rogers Devotionals

By Mary “Grandma” Rogers:

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22 KJV

PHOTO: These are cupcakes!

Wouldn’t you much rather have a good laugh than to take a big dose of medicine? Who wouldn’t? Although I know, from personal experience, that there are times when medicine is necessary, still it would be wonderful if just a real good laugh would cure all ills. Well, it may not cure, but it certainly does help. A little poem I recently read says a lot about laughing. I shall give you an excerpt from it:

A laugh is just like sunshine
It freshens all the day,
It tips the peak of life with light
And drives the clouds away.
The soul grows glad that hears it
And feels its courage strong.
A laugh is just like sunshine
For cheering folks along.

Now, isn’t that true? Don’t we always feel better and more cheerful when we laugh? I really do believe that a merry heart does us a lot of good just as medicine does when we need it.

How do we go about having a merry heart? — you might ask. Some people are just simply born with one — it is a gift from God. Oh, they have their troubles, their daily cares; but they seem to be able to rise above all of it and find that kind of laughter in their hearts that can heal all problems. These are very blessed people.

Then there are the rest of us, who must develop a merry heart, who must strive and work to be cheerful in the face of adverse circumstances. Believe me, it can be done in a lot of ways. In the words of George Macdonald: “No man (or woman, I will add) ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today, that the weight is more than a man (or woman) can bear” (Unquote). Being human, our minds always want to race ahead. It is very hard to think only of one day at a time. In some ways it is wise to plan ahead, but not to dwell on tomorrow’s possible burdens, because we can’t do a thing about them until tomorrow gets here. Realizing this with all our hearts can lift a tremendous weight from our minds.

Jesus said the same thing to us in different words. He said: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (KJV)  The Living Bible says it in words like this: “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow.  God will take care of your tomorrow too.  Live one day at a time.” For me, these words and this promise lift a big burden from my heart. I know God will be there in my tomorrow and I know, also, that He can handle anything that happens to me.

Margaret Stowe, a great lady, had these words to say, and I wonder if she wasn’t thinking of how to go about having a merry heart. In her words: “You will succeed best when you put the restless, anxious side of affairs out of mind, and allow the restful side to live in your thoughts.” Very good advice, I would say. Sometimes we alone cannot do that; but all we need to do is ask for God’s help. Ask Him for peaceful and contented thoughts and a merry heart. He will help you to work out all cares and problems until contentment, peace and laughter are once again yours.

 The thing that makes me the most joyful is knowing that God loves me and I love Him. My God and I have a good thing going. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.

I want to close with a happy little poem entitled “My God and I” It was written long ago by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The stars shine over the mountains,
The stars shine over the sea,
The stars look up to the mighty God
The stars look down on me.
The stars shall last for a million years,
A million years and a day,
But God and I will live and love when
The stars have passed away.

The promise of God and I living and loving each other forever is enough to put joy and merriment in my heart all this day —- and for all my days to come.

Let us pray…
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for a merry heart and this joyful day. Amen

www.GrandmaRogers.com

Tags: Cheerful, Joy, Laughter, Merry, Stress
Filed under: Devotionals