Joy Is Good Medicine - Proverbs 16-17

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Because of both a heart attack at 55 and a cardiac arrest at 71, I am on a regiment of medication. Every week my wife lays out pills in piles and I dutifully take them morning and night. When I had the heart attack there was plenty of speculation as to the cause. Along with food habits and no habit of excercise, most of the advice I received was that I had to slow down and figure out how to reduce my stress levels. If I would have followed the medical "advice" of the above verse I probably wouldn't have to take the meds today. Putting yourself under stress is one sure way to "dry up the bones." This contrasting parallelism give us the wisdom that trusting in God (the real source of joy) is good medicine, while living without joy will dry the bones. The best medicine is to be controlled by the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, "joy", etc. A joyful heart comes from the fear of the Lord and trusting in Him and allowing the Spirit to rule. Without it you are under stress with dried up bones that produces a broken spirit and ... eventually a broken heart.  We don't muster-up a joyful heart.  We don't wait for circumstances to produce a moment of happenstance.   Happy is a word that comes from a root word, "hap," which means something just "happened" to produce the moment.   People get happy because some particular circumstance changed to their favor.  Happiness is not a joyfulness. A joyful heart comes from allowing the Spirit of God to work within us, based upon the truth of God, sharpening us into a deeper knowledge of and shape like Christ.   That is great medicine.   I will take heart meds the rest of my life for the way I lived without Christlike joy.  One of the "pills" I take every day, now, is to allow the Spirit of God to shape my life.   He is good medicine for a guilty and shameful soul.  

Declare His Glory - Psalms 96-98

Psalms 96:3 (ESV)

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Our responsibility each day is to fulfill the above verse each day of our lives.  And we are to do this all over our lives.  Note:

Psalms 145:4-6 (ESV)

One generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,

and I will declare your greatness.

God’s entire creation has this responsibility, as well:

Psalms 19:1-2 (ESV)

The Law of the LORD Is Perfect

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

Psalms 50:6 (ESV)

The heavens declare his righteousness,

for God himself is judge! Selah

We are not to be afraid to this any time and anywhere.   The above verse instructs us to declare His glory among all the peoples.   We can often feel comfortable declaring His glory among our own.   We can do so in collective worship, without fail.  We can do so on Sunday.  But what about Monday.   What about Friday and/or Saturday night.  Our desire in life ought to be to declare the glory of God.   

Trust God’s Plan - 1 Chronicles 5-9

1 Chronicles 9:35-44 (ESV)

Saul’s Genealogy Repeated

In Gibeon lived the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, and the name of his wife was Maacah, and his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth; and Mikloth was the father of Shimeam; and these also lived opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem, with their kinsmen. Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah. The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. And Ahaz fathered Jarah, and Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. And Zimri fathered Moza. Moza fathered Binea, and Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. Azel had six sons and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.

Is that list now inspired reading?   When reading this list we have to remember Paul’s admonition to Pastor Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

We tend to want to skip over these passages rather than ask, “Why did God put this in the Bible?”   As the ESV Bible composers indicated for this section, this is a list of Saul’s genealogy, AGAIN.  Why would God have us read it twice?  The books of Chronicles were written when the nation of Israel was returning from exile.  It was important for the coming Messiah that the nation keep perfect records about the line of David, his kingship and Israel’s sustaining of kings.  Saul was the first king.  Saul becomes the first King and David will follow.  David is then promised a kingship for all generations.  Those generations end with Jesus as King.   When we see the names we are seeing the purpose and promises of God.  God is accurate and does all things by design.   There are no mistake with God and there are no unplanned people along the way.   

We Are On A List - Numbers 1-4

Numbers 1:47 (ESV)

But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe.

Numbers 3:15-16 (ESV)

“List the sons of Levi, by fathers’ houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list.” So Moses listed them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

Numbers is a book that gives us ... numbers.   The name of the book comes from the numbering of the men for war and the numbering of the tribe of Levi, not for war, but for duty to the Tabernacle.   (As stated by many a better name for the book might be something like: The Wilderness Wandering Record.)   The book gives us an accounting of what the nation did in the 40 years of punishment in the wilderness.   There is a lot of mention of names and place and events.   

In the above two verses we read that the Levi’s were not be listed in one list and they were the only ones listed on another list.  They were not to be counted as men able to go to war.  It does not mean they could not fight, but it does mean they were not to be part of the standing army.   They were added to a special list. That list was for the duty of caring for all things Tabernacle (large and small).   They were in the service of the LORD and therefore not in service to fight in battle.  

It should be noted that today God also assigns us roles and responsibilities in this life today as He did then.  

In the Church it is God’s manifold wisdom what gifts He gives us:

1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV)

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (ESV)

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

It is God who decides our path.  We are His possession, the sheep of His pasture:

Psalms 100:3 (ESV)

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

We may not be on one list, be we are on a list for God.  We are to embrace that and fulfill His path for our lives.  

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

The heart of man plans his way,

but the LORD establishes his steps.

God Provides Comfort - 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (ESV)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

The fact that God sent His Son to comfort us and to show us His comfort is one of the most comforting truths we can know and hold to.  God wants to provide us with His comfort.  You will see that the Trinity is involved in that comfort if you read the verses below.   One of the most famous verses about God’s comfort is here:

Psalms 23:4 (ESV)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

Notice some of the verses in God’s Word about His comfort to us and for us:

word.  This is a great prayer list to pray each week about God’s amazing comfort:

MONDAY - COMFORT from the God of all COMFORT

2 Corinthians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all COMFORT,

TUESDAY - Comfort in the Holy Spirit

Acts 9:31

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the COMFORT of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

WEDNESDAY - Comfort from Scripture 

Romans 15:4

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

THURSDAY - Comfort in our Afflictions

2 Corinthians 1:5-7

For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in COMFORT too. If we are afflicted, it is for your COMFORT and salvation; and if we are COMFORTED, it is for your COMFORT, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our COMFORT.

FRIDAY - Comfort from other believers 

2 Corinthians 1:4

... who COMFORTS us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to COMFORT those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are COMFORTED by God

1 Thessalonians 3:7 (ESV Strong's)

7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been COMFORTED about you through your faith.

SATURDAY - Comfort from God’s shepherding correction:

Psalms 23:4 (ESV)

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they COMFORT me.

SUNDAY - Comfort is God’s promised blessing (Makarios)

Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be COMFORTED.

Live Out Load: John 3-4

John 3:1-2a (ESV)

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night ...

In order to fully appreciate the above passage, we should read the following:

John 19:39-40 (ESV)

Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

Nicodemus, who first came by night to see Jesus, would eventually live his faith out loud by being the one who helped bury.  In the beginning, he had quiet faith. In the end, his faith was loud. That is the path of Christianity. When we first get saved, we’re more timid and less willing to live our lives in a way that others view us.  Later, as we grow, we get boulder in our faith. That boldness should cause us to live our faith out loud. Notice what the psalm writer wrote:

Psalms 100:1 (ESV)

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Psalms 66:1 (ESV) 

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

The Hebrew word for the word noise, and shout, and the above Psalms is that of a trumpet sound. God is not wanting us to be quiet with what we know about him. God is wanting us to live our lives out loud. It doesn’t mean we have to be obnoxious. It doesn’t mean we have to always be offensive. It doesn’t mean that we have to change our personality from an introvert to an extrovert.  What it means, is that we are to be so bold in our faith; that we back away from nothing. Think of these individuals who didn’t back away:

1.  Daniel ripped his feet out loud simply by refusing to eat the same way as other others. (Daniel 1)

2. Daniel also refused to be quiet about his prayer life. He literally threw the windows open so people could see him pray. (Daniel 6:10)

3. Daniel three friends were willing to burn in a fiery furnace simply because they would not bow down. That’s living in your life out loud.  (Daniel 3)

4. Noah live his life out loud with a hammer. (Genesis 6)

5. Nathan lived his life out loud by calling out David sin (2 Samuel 22-23)

Nicodemus, at first was quiet, and then he got the boldness of a lion, and lived his life out loud. That should be our trajectory.

Proverbs 28:1 (ESV)

The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Pray For Wisdom - Daniel 1-6

Daniel 2:17-19 (ESV)

Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

The background to the above portion of Daniel falls under Nebuchadnezzar having a dream.  It apparently was a disturbing dream and one that he could not understand.  Therefore he brought in all the wise man, magicians, and sooth-sayers from the kingdom to tell him the dream and the interpretation.   This merry band of men objected to the kings request.  They insisted that the king tell them the dream and then they would give an interpretation.   The king refused and held them all responsible to know both the dream and the interpretation.    They could not and the king threatened to kill them all.   This is where the above text comes into play.   Daniel injects himself into the story and requests to talk to the king.  Daniel promises the king that he will tell him the dream and the interpretation.   Yet, Daniel does not know the dram and interpretation.    Daniel calls for his three friends (who later, by the same king, will be tossed into the fiery furnace) and they laid the problem before God in prayer (praying to their God that would later get Daniel tossed in the lions den).    God reveals to them both the dream and the interpretation.    Daniel and the three go to God in prayer to ask for wisdom and understanding.   God gives it to them. 

James 1:5 (ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

As James states, coming to God in prayer to ask for understanding and wisdom is an act of faith based upon the faithfulness, goodness and steadfast love of God. 

Psalms 100:5 (ESV)

For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

We are to come to God in prayer based upon His character and not our own.  The power of collective prayer is unmatched in the world.