This daily devotional is scheduled to resume on 12/29.
It’s Stress
“Dave” is one of the farmers in Zimbabwe who has had his land taken away by government-sponsored thugs. He is a fifth generation Zimbabwean of Scots descent, and his farm is a rich mixture of wheat, cotton and soybean.
If you know about farming you know that Dave invested much more than his life savings into the farm; every square foot had his blood, sweat and tears on it.
When his doctor diagnosed him with cancer she spoke candidly to him, as good doctors will: “It’s stress,” she declared, “You have to reduce the stress in your life.”
Of course, Dave asked the obvious question: “How do I do that?”
Long before medicine discovered the link between a stressful lifestyle and our health, the Wise man of proverbs put his finger on the connection:
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22, ESV).
I don’t know what Dave can do about the tyrant who rules his once lovely country, but I suspect that in this country we can do more about the stress in our lives.
Reconcile with friends and family; value family and friends more than money and things. Take an afternoon off and spend it with your children, your wife, or your best friend.
It’s good heart medicine!