The Great Physician

The Great Physician "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 Over the years science has confirmed time and time again that there is a close relationship between our minds and our bodies. This is what the Bible has always taught us. I spent 45 years in health care and saw first-hand how the mind can affect our bodies. Worry, guilt, depression, addictions, anger, failure and many others, are examples where our minds, when it is misdirected, can affect the physical health of our bodies. There is also a close relationship between our mental and physical health, and the health of our spiritual lives. These same traits listed above are usually associated with, and brought about from the disease of sin. Much like poison, they can make us sick in both our minds and in our bodies. The Bible tells us in scriptures, like the one above, that if we can rid our hearts from these, that our minds and our bodies can also be cleansed. When Jesus comes into our hearts, He can remove these diseases of guilt, fear, jealously, bitterness, anger, pride and all the other diseases that we have stored away in our hearts. When these are removed they are replaced with joy, peace, love for others, and all the other fruits of the spirit mentioned in the Bible. He gives us a new purpose in life, one that promises and promotes our emotional and physical health. God's peace in our hearts, can bring cleansing and refreshment to our bodies and minds, much like taking a vitamin supplement to give us more energy. Like the scripture says, "a cheerful heart is good medicine", and when the Great Physician gives us his prescription for healing our minds and bodies, and also our spiritual life, we should listen, and do as He prescribes, because our eternal lives are at stake. My Daily Devotional Volume Six January 22, 2013