Someone once said: “In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives a message of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage-so long are you young. When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, are you grown old.”
Prov 23 : 7 ( a ) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he
Prov 12 : 25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
Prov 14 : 30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Prov 17 : 22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.
The happiest people on earth are not the ones without problems. The happiest people are the ones who learnt to appreciate the possibilities of growth that problems bring.
Act 27:23 For tonight an angel of God stood beside me, whose I am and whom I serve, 24 saying, Fear not, Paul! You must stand before Caesar. And behold! God has given you all those who sail with you. 25 Therefore, men, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it will be so, according to the way it was told me.
So many lessons for life can be taken from this short passage of Scripture.
Paul and his shipmates were caught in a terrible storm and was about to become shipwrecked. Yet Paul encouraged them.
How is that for being optimistic. The boat being pounded by the waves of a violent storm, things are about to go seriously wrong. Some of these men were convinced that they were about to die and here’s this little Hebrew man telling them: “be of good cheer”
Sometimes it is just so difficult, to remain optimistic, to keep the smile on your face, to “hope against all hope”, when all the signs point towards impending doom.
But Paul stood his ground, because he had a Word from God. He knew very well that, notwithstanding all the trials and tribulations, God still had a purpose for him. He still had a task to complete, and nothing would stop him.
When all seems to be breaking apart and when it seems that there is just no way out, we need to protect the Word that has been planted in our hearts. We need to cherish and hold on to the promise of God.
Pro 4:20 My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all his flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
When the storms of life rages against us, wanting us to end up shipwrecked, we need to keep our hearts focused on the Word. “Therefore, men, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it will be so, according to the way it was told me.” Paul believed and so can we.
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