Thought for the Day

Verse 13 - Laughter is an emotion, and it proceeds from the soul of man. When a man's soul is unredeemed, he can laugh with temporary amusement but still be miserable at heart. The world is amazed that Christians can maintain a spirit of joy even in great suffering. This is because the joy that the Lord gives to His saints is not dependant on circumstances, but upon abiding in Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit can sustain us in our severest trials.

Verse 14 - Those who slide away from God, back to their old lifestyles, are filled with their own ways instead of the Holy Spirit. When trials come, they have no reserves of inner strength to draw upon, and many are destroyed for lack of faith. It is important to stay alert and not slack off in our pursuit of God. We must use our time wisely when things go well and study God's Word, storing up His truths in our hearts (2 Timothy 2:15).

Ignorance causes much suffering in the natural and the spiritual. I can think of a perfect example of this truth. Some years ago, my husband Bud and I made a journey to India and visited a small church. Every family attending this church was afflicted with dysentery. When we asked the mothers to bring forward the children ill with fever, almost the whole church came forward. We prayed and rebuked the fever in Jesus' name. Instantly the children who were hot with fever were restored to their normal temperature. We rejoiced in the goodness of God, as we had remembered how Jesus prayed and rebuked the fever from Peter's mother-in-law and she was healed (Matthew 8:14-17).

The next day, we were visiting the pastor. One of his children, who had been healed the night before, became feverish again. As we prayed, the Holy Spirit revealed that we needed to deal with the root of the illness. After asking the pastor several questions, we learned that the water and sewer pipes of the houses were laid side by side. Because the pipes were leaking and the joints were improperly sealed, sewage was contaminating the drinking water. Lack of knowledge had brought disease to that entire church. We told the pastor to boil all the drinking water and to have the church families to do likewise. Through the knowledge given by the Holy Spirit to find the root of the problem, and the practical knowledge of how to purify water, the families were spared continued illness.

Lack of spiritual knowledge causes spiritual illnesses. We must study and obey God's Word to overcome life's problems and walk victoriously in the Lord.