READY: “A cheerful heart is good medicine” –Proverbs 17:22
SET: As a coach I love to hear a team laugh together and I
know the Lord likes it too. In fact, that’s why God gave us -
Bob Uecker!
Uecker on baseball: “Baseball hasn’t forgotten me. I go to a
lot of old-timers games and I haven’t lost a thing. I sit in the
bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times.”
Uecker on his career: “I knew when my career was over. In
1965 my baseball card came out with no picture.”
Uecker on his career highlight: “In ’67 with St. Louis, I
walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an
inter-squad game in spring training.”
Uecker on catching: “The way to catch a knuckleball is to
wait until it stops rolling and pick it up.”
Uecker on leading the league: “I led the league in ‘Go get
‘em next year.’”
Bob Uecker’s quirky humor just makes me laugh . . . and
Proverbs 17:22 says that a “cheerful heart” is good medicine.
Laughter makes a difference in us. We are joyful on the inside
because of what God is doing and because of who He is. We are
joyful even when circumstances are not what they should be, or
what we want them to be. Let me share 6 qualities of cheerful
heart.
First, a cheerful heart is a heart at peace. A) The peace of
conversion: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” -Romans 5:1; B) The
peace of confession: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness” -1 John 1:9, and C) The peace of concentration:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, him whose mind is
steadfast, because he trusts in You” - Isaiah 26:3.
Secondly, a cheerful heart is a heart of praise. “Shout for
joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs” - Psalm 100:1-2
Thirdly, A cheerful heart is a heart of prayer. “Do not be
anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And
the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” - Philippians 4:6-7
Fourthly, a cheerful heart is a heart of practice
[obedience]. “If you love Me, you will obey what I command”
–John 14:15
Fifthly, a cheerful heart is a heart of purpose. “. . . let
us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” –Hebrews
12:1
Sixthly, a cheerful heart is a heart of power. “I can do
everything through Him [Jesus] who gives me strength”
–Philippians 4:13
Bob Uecker on batting: “When I looked at the third base
coach, he turned his back on me.” Bob Uecker helps me laugh but
it’s the Lord who has truly made the difference in my “funny
bone” – He gave me a cheerful heart! Upward bound, Coach Street
GO: 1. What are the 6 qualities of a cheerful heart? 2. Is
there one or two that you needs God’s help with? 3. What or who
makes you laugh? 4. If a cheerful heart is like medicine, what
does that mean to you?
WORKOUT: Isaiah 55:12; Psalm 118:15; Psalm 4:7; Psalm
97:11-12
OVERTIME: "Lord, I want to serve You with a godly heart. Do
what You need to do in me to make it so. Amen."
