"A Happy Soul . . . "

George Mueller, 1805-1898, has some thoughtful words to say on what he considers to be “the first great and primary business to which [he] ought to attend.” I love reading words written from earlier centuries. They seem so grand.

“While I was staying at Nailsworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the benefit of which I have not lost though now ... more than forty years have since passed away. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord; how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished . . .

“It often now astonishes me that I did not sooner see this . . . that the first thing the child of God has to do morning by morning is to obtain food for his inner man . . . What is the food for the inner man: not prayer, but the Word of God, so that it not only passes through our minds, just as water rungs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts . . .

“How different when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials and the temptations of the day come upon one!”

To have a happy soul. Is your soul happy when you read God’s word or listen to His music? Mine is. I believe His word so strongly that my soul is thrilled every time I read it or listen to it being preached. The question for me is: Does it keep me happy? I think I have to work on that a little harder.

George Mueller was a great man. I like what he said. Although I've always had devotions in the morning, I think if I set my mind to be closer to God, pondering what I read more intensely, my soul will indeed be tickled because He is truth, and if my soul is tickled I think my soul will be very happy all day!

The above picture was taken from my writing room window.The young hawk just started flapping his wings and prancing around. That definitely tickled my funny bone!