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In Matthew 9 there was a woman who had been unwell for twelve years and spent all her money on doctors who were unable to help her. She had heard about the miracles Jesus had done and believed that he could heal her. All she did was to touch his clothes and she was healed. Jesus told her, Be happy, dear woman. You are made well because you believed (Matthew 9:22). I have no doubt that Jesus still heals people miraculously today, but sometimes, he doesn't. We will all be healed and all our problems resolved when we are in heaven with him. We can be happy about that.
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Proverbs 12:18
Careless words stab like a sword, but the words of wise people bring healing. I can imagine that a sword causes quite a lot of damage - your words can do the same. The Bible has quite a lot to say about our words. James chapter 3 says a lot about the tongue. It's not talking about the body part that helps you eat and speak, it's talking about your words. James 3:5-6 It is a small part of the body, but it brags about doing great things. A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. It starts a fire that influences all of life. The tongue gets this fire from hell. James 3:9-10 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people. And God made them like himself. Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers, this should not happen. Your words can hurt or heal, they can build up or tear down, they can bring joy or pain, they can bless or curse - you choose. I love this parable about the kingdom of heaven being like a hidden treasure. It was quite common in Bible times to hide your treasure by burying it in a time of war or conflict. The message is that knowing Jesus is worth far more than the combined value of anything you own. As a teenager you may not own much, but imagine if your parents found some buried treasure in a field so they sold their house, cars, jewellery, big screen TV, and other valuables so that they could buy it.
 Proverbs 12:10 says, Good people take care of their animals, but wicked people are cruel to theirs. God made all the animals and in Matthew 6:26 says, Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And Matthew 10:29 says, When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of those little birds can die without your Father knowing it. We can infer from these verses that God cares for the animals.
In Genesis 1:26 God said that mankind would rule over the animals. Then God said, “Now let’s make humans who will be like us. They will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the earth.” God has told us to be kind to animals and look after them - whether they are domestic pets, farm animals, or wild ones. We can support wildlife conservation and buy ethically farmed meat, poultry and dairy products. Matthew 5:11-12 says, People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do that, know that great blessings belong to you. Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven.
This doesn't make sense to our human brains - how can you be happy about something bad? Romans 8:18 says, We have sufferings now, but these are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us. We can be happy when we are persecuted for following Jesus because we have a reward waiting for us in heaven that far outweighs our suffering here on earth. It's not fun at the time, but it won't last forever.  Proverbs 11:25 says, Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped. You might not think that you have much to give, but there are other ways to be generous than just giving money. You can give your time and attention, you can give kindness and your assistance. Here are some examples:
Proverbs 11:24 says, Some people give much but get back even more. But others don’t give what they should, and they end up poor. We don't give so that we can get more back. God knows our motives. He blesses those who give with the right attitude with more. How can you be generous this week? We're going to look at happiness from a Biblical viewpoint, starting at Matthew. I'm using the Easy to Read Version but will look at other translations as well.
Matthew 2:10 is talking about the wise men when it says, They were very happy and excited to see the star. The New King James Version says that they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. The Wise Men were probably astronomers who were familiar with the prophecy that the appearance of this star signified the birth of the King of Kings. When it stopped over the place where Jesus lay they were very happy because they had found the Saviour. If you have found Jesus you can be happy because you know the Saviour of the world who has forgiven your sins.  Proverbs 11:17 says, People who are kind will be rewarded for their kindness, but cruel people will be rewarded with trouble. Science has proved what the Bible has been saying for thousands of years - that kindness is good for you. According to www.happiness.com, kindness has the following benefits:
We should be kind because we love God and he made people in his image. Here are some other Biblical benefits of kindness according to the book of Proverbs:
 Proverbs 10:19 says, A person who talks too much gets into trouble. A wise person learns to be quiet. I have a confession to make - I'm a talker! Sometimes the things that come out of my mouth aren't entirely helpful or kind - and they've gotten me into trouble quite a few times! When we gossip, criticise, argue or angrily answer people, we are not acting in love. I love the saying, 'God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you speak.' I wish I had heard it and applied it to my life when I was a teenager. Proverbs 10:19 tells us that this is something we learn to do - we're not born knowing how to do it. This week, ask God to help you to be wise - try to listen more and talk less.
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