Challenge Central: a CBC devotional
By: Casey Korstanje
I missed Majors last week, in the fullest sense of the word.
I was unable to attend, and I was stuck doing something unpleasant instead of meeting friends at the church for lunch and fellowship.
I was cheered later to learn that people had missed me as well.
As to the unpleasant bit, I was thumping uphill on a treadmill at an extremely efficient cardiac clinic while my friends back at Central were tucking into meatloaf and mashed potatoes. By my calculations, about the same time they were giving thanks before trooping into the gym to eat, I was silently praying for strength and peace while the lab techs were injecting dye into my arm and sticking electrodes to my chest.
They call the procedure a stress test. The idea is to see if you can get your heart beating at (in my case) 95 per cent of their predicted maximum safe rate while they take a look at how well it functions.
It took a while, but I achieved the 95 per cent without passing out, or worse. The techs were very pleased. “Good job!” they said as I was gasping for air.
I had survived the stress test.
“A joyful heart is good medicine,” says the Word of God.
The writer of the proverb was not trying to produce a throwaway line suitable for a coffee cup, he was a realist. The verses before and after contain a litany of things that grieve the heart: family strife, wayward children, violence, arrogance, bitterness, selfishness, sickness, confusion, lies. The stuff of life in a fallen world.
I think God is trying here to send us a signal. That there is a treatment available, good medicine, to help us not just survive but even overcome all of the stuff we face, the pain we suffer, the fears we harbour, the future we worry about. And he calls that medicine “a joyful heart.”
The temptation is to scoff. “How can I possibly have a joyful heart? Look at my circumstances.”
And here the Word of God agrees with you completely. To focus on yourself and your circumstances is the opposite of what you should do. Paul puts this bluntly in Romans 8:6 “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Christian, when you focus solely on the circumstances, no matter how dire, you are going the wrong way.
Here is the biblical prescription, the good medicine, for the stress test of life:
First: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Second: Run! Run to Jesus. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Third: Pray. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
Four: Trust. “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Five: Remember that nothing in this life is forever so take the long view. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
Six: Relax. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
Good medicine.
When the cardiologist called me to his office to give me the verdict (he called it a consultation) I too had to follow the prescription to banish fearful thoughts (Maybe there’s something wrong. Maybe I need medication, or surgery or a heart transplant.)
“You’re good,” he said. Then he smiled and showed me the door.
A joyful heart is good medicine.
