Prescription for a Cheerful Heart: Scripture Lessons in Happiness a to Z

By Brenda Phegley

Society tells you that your heart will be filled with happiness if you make more money, build a bigger house, and accumulate more possessions. You do all of these things only to find out that the condition of your heart has not changed!

You want something that guarantees happiness and promises joyyou want a prescription for a cheerful heart! In Prescription for a Cheerful Heart, Brenda Phegley shows you how the Scriptures are the best prescription for true happiness. Reading Gods Word will infuse your heart with the faith, hope, and love that promise eternal happiness.

Interwoven through the Scriptures used in this book are biographies of modern-day heroes, stories from the Bible, and examples from classical literature. You will read stories of people who had faith in God to give them true happiness no matter what situations they facedwhether it was a battlefield, a tornado, or a fiery furnace. You will discover that you must continue to have hope in God even when the odds are against you. Furthermore, you will realize that the power of Gods love will allow you to experience true happiness.

You will find that the only way to receive a prescription for a cheerful heart is to accept Jesus Christ into your heart. Then your prescription is refilled every day when you pray, worship God, and read your Bible. When your prescription for a cheerful heart comes from the great physician, you will have eternal happiness!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512715880

Brenda Phegley

Brenda Phegley has taught English for over thirty years at Wabash Valley College. She received a bachelor of science degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a master of arts degree from the University of Evansville. Brenda and her husband, Terry, reside in southern Illinois, and they have two married daughters and two granddaughters.

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Copyright © 2015 Brenda Phegley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-1589-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1590-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1588-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015916942

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/28/2015

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A

1. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

2. Aim for perfection; do not settle for mediocrity.

3. Aspire to be on the right—not on the left.

B

4. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

5. Boost your strength; bolster your courage.

6. Build your life upon the Lord.

C

7. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

8. Continue to have hope.

9. Contribute to children, charities, and churches.

D

10. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

11. Duplicate good deeds; triplicate great actions.

12. Dwell on reaping what you sow.

E

13. Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

14. Examine your life; be prepared to give an account of it.

15. Exercise exemplary behavior in everything you do.

F

16. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

17. Focus on the real jewels in your life.

18. Fortify yourself with the armor of God.

G

19. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

20. Glorify God every day.

21. Guide children, teach children, love children!

H

22. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed.

23. Hold on to what guarantees happiness.

24. Humble yourself before God.

I

25. If God is for us, who can be against us?

26. Imagine what your obituary will say.

27. Improve your place of refuge in a storm.

J

28. Judge not, that ye be not judged.

29. Jump at the opportunities you have now.

30. Junk the albatrosses in your life.

K

31. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

32. Kindle kindness in your words.

33. Know how much God loves you.

L

34. Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

35. Live your life; consider how quickly it passes.

36. Love without keeping score; this will allow you to love even more.

M

37. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

38. Measure your happiness by people—not possessions.

39. Motivate and inspire other people by your faith.

N

40. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

41. Number the great things God has done for you.

42. Nurture your plans to prosper—God does!

O

43. O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh faints for You, in a dry and thirsty land with no water.

44. Open your heart to the path God has planned for you.

45. Orient your thinking from temporary residence to permanent home.

P

46. Pray without ceasing.

47. Prioritize your life—time or money?

48. Proclaim God’s wonderful creation!

Q

49. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

50. Quiet yourself before God.

51. Quit loving your money.

R

52. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

53. Renew your strength each day.

54. Resolve to make your words become actions.

S

55. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

56. Strive to live debt-free.

57. Study God’s Word every day.

T

58. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

59. Transform your attitude from negative to positive.

60. Trust God to rescue you from darkness.

U

61. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

62. Usher in the new you.

63. Utilize the shield of God.

V

64. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

65. Visualize your name in the Book of Life.

66. Vitalize your heart.

W

67. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

68. Worry less; trust in God more!

69. Write thank-you notes to God every day.

X

70. Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands.

71. X-irradiate the world!

72. X-ray yourself.

Y

73. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

74. Yearn to be like Jesus.

75. Yield your life to God.

Z

76. Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.

77. Zap the power of fear with the power of faith.

78. Zoom in on the amazing grace of God!

Notes

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture taken from the World English Bible.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture quotations in this publication are from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Dedication

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To my loving husband and best friend, Terry

To my beautiful daughter Julie, her wonderful husband, Travis,

and my precious granddaughters, Lillian and Olivia

To my beautiful daughter Amy and her wonderful husband, David

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Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

—Philippians 1:3 (NLT)

Acknowledgments

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Thank you to God for giving me a cheerful heart!

Thank you to my husband for encouraging me every day!

Thank you to my daughters, sons-in-law, and granddaughters for bringing joy to my life!

Thank you to my parents for raising me in a Christian home!

Thank you to my friends for praying for me!

Thank you to my ministers and Sunday school teachers for instilling God’s Word in my heart!

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Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

—Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

Introduction

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When I began writing this book, I prayed for God’s guidance, and I continued to pray every day as I stared at blank pages and questioned myself as to what I would write. What did I have to say that had not already been said many times before by writers with more education, more talent, and more prestige? God answered my prayers—I should write from my cheerful heart. So that is what I did!

I thank God for giving me a cheerful heart, and I pray that as you read Prescription for a Cheerful Heart—Scripture Lessons in Happiness A to Z that you will be encouraged, motivated, and inspired. Overall, I pray that you will remember that true happiness comes from knowing that God loved you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you.

Also, I hope that you will turn to God’s Word whenever you feel that your heart is cheerless—not cheerful. As I researched hundreds of Scriptures to include in this book, I decided to follow an A to Z organization because the Bible infuses us with happiness from A to Z. The Word of God teaches us how to have cheerful hearts.

Because I have been a teacher for over thirty years, I love stories that teach lessons. I have included stories from the Bible, biographies of modern-day heroes, and quotes from classical literature. I have also included some personal stories. Interwoven into all of these story lessons are over three hundred Scriptures reminding us that the Bible teaches us the most important lesson—how to have a cheerful heart no matter what happens in life!

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A

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A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

—Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

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How can a cheerful heart be good medicine? Usually when we think of medicine, we envision a plastic bottle of pills prescribed by a trusted physician. We put our faith in the physician who prescribed the pills, and we hope we will be cured of whatever illness or disease from which we suffer.

However, the good medicine that comes from a cheerful heart must be prescribed by the great physician—Jesus Christ! He offers us unconditional love that allows us to have cheerful hearts rather than crushed spirits. Once we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we will be cheerful. We will have a positive outlook on life. We will smile more often than we frown. We will laugh more often than we cry.

Unfortunately, we are still going to suffer from sicknesses, cancers, and broken bones—these are all part of our temporary lives on earth, and I am by no means suggesting that a person’s positive attitude could stop profuse bleeding, prevent children from getting sick, or heal broken bones. Go to the hospital, get your children vaccinated, and see a doctor in all of these cases! Furthermore, I believe that we must follow the advice of health care professionals, who encourage us to eat healthy foods, exercise daily, and enjoy adequate sleep. If we do these things, we may have healthy hearts.

However, we must remember that it is our spiritual hearts that define who we truly are, and it is our spiritual hearts that are eternal—not our physical hearts. Therefore, once we have given our lives to Jesus Christ and we have received His saving grace, we can have cheerful hearts. Our prescription of love’s saving grace has healed us! To further illustrate, I will use an example of a Christian woman I knew who had major health issues. When I would ask her how she was feeling, she would always reply, I am blessed! She is now in heaven, and she will be blessed forever, but the point is that she had a cheerful heart; and even though she was in physical pain each day, she knew that it would not last forever—she knew her spiritual heart would last forever. All of us know people like this woman; these wonderful Christians are proof of God’s love, which can heal us.

We need medicine to maintain good health; however, we know this medicine can only treat our physical bodies. Furthermore, we know that we should strive to be healthy! I remember being so happy after getting good results from a health checkup. The report stated that my physical heart was younger than my actual age. I thought this was remarkable. Did it mean I would live forever? Of course not. The only report that really matters is the one stating the condition of my spiritual heart. Will it say that I have been saved by God’s amazing grace? Will it say that I have lived a Christian life? I want it to, so I am reading my Bible, praying at all times, and praising God!

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A glad heart makes a cheerful face; but an aching heart breaks the spirit.

—Proverbs 15:13 (WEB)

Aim for perfection; do not settle for mediocrity.

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How can aiming for perfection make us happy? Just thinking of the word perfect makes us smile! Parents are happy to hold their perfect little babies. Students are proud to earn perfect grade-point averages. Sports teams are elated to attain perfect seasons.

Achieving perfection is never easy! Think of a student who is committed to maintaining a perfect grade-point average. With a strong determination, this is possible; however, it is not easy, but the rewards are significant. When our daughters graduated as valedictorians of their high school classes, we were very proud of them. They had perfect grade-point averages. Then when they graduated from college with high honors with doctorates in physical therapy, we were elated! When students are aiming for perfection, they must attend classes, ask their teachers for assistance, and read their assignments.

As Christians, we must do the same. We must attend church, ask God to help us, and read our Bibles. We are given these instructions: Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you (2 Cor. 13:11 WEB). We are all imperfect people when God saves us by His grace. When this happens, we are filled with tremendous joy. By the grace of God, we are empowered to aim for perfection in living Christian lives. The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:11 that we must love each other and live in peace with each other. Unlike a student who can earn a perfect grade-point average with minimal assistance from others, we cannot aim for perfection without God’s grace. We must remember that the God of love and peace is with us; His perfection guides our lives.

Aiming for perfection is hard work, and we will definitely be tested, tried, and tempted. My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience. But let patience perfect its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2–4 MEV).

Remember that we are aiming for perfection; we are not perfect. We were not perfect when we accepted Christ, but by the grace