John Flavel lost 3 wives, and at least one child. He knew a thing or two about suffering. Yet as you read his writing, he is full of joy. He exemplifies the truth of one of our Proverbs for today: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)
How could he not be overwhelmed by grief, what was his secret? In his book “a token for mourners” he writes “consider how cain a thing all your troubles and self-vexation is; it no way betters your case, nor eases your burden. He gives the example of how young bullock thrashing against its’ yoke only makes it heavier. Or a bird fluttering in net – only entangles itself more.
There is a place for lament, but how easily this can become wallowing in our troubles. We often cannot control our circumstances, but we can chose how to respond to them. When you know that a loving God is in control, you can find joy even in the midst of the trial.
In the Lord’s providence, this verse from Proverbs often coincides with Sports Day. Many of you reading this will know that our son (William) can’t walk, he has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I am amazed at the joy and contentment the Lord gives to William. When I was his age, I would have sulked at losing a race nevermind not being able to compete at all. Wonderfully, WIlliam is delighted to get a day out of school to do an alternative to sports day. For the last couple of years, we have gone out bird-watching. He thouroughly enjoyed it, never complaining at what he couldn’t do, but delighting in God’s creation especially the swifts and swallows, and a black swan! The joyful heart was indeed good medicine.
It would have been so easy to have a crushed spirit, thinking about what he was missing out on, but instead the Lord gave William a joyful heart. Where does such joy come from?
In our reading from Romans 15 Paul tells us he prays “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
(Romans 15:13).
The joy comes from God by the power of His Holy Spirit. William knows the joy of God working for His good even in his suffering. When he broke his leg, he read Romans 8 and was really struck by the fact that our present sufferings aren’t worth comparing with the glory that is to come. He knows his ultimate future is brilliant because Jesus has died for him, taken his sin, he knows God loves him and is working for his good. Rather than focusing on what he can’t do, he delights in what God gives him.
“A joyful heart is good medicine”
Please pray for this to continue for all of us, especially with various medical appointments that can crush the spirit.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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