Sept. 17, 2025

Christian Medicine

Christian Medicine
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What does it look like to choose joy, even on the toughest days? In today’s episode, hosts Richelle Alessi invite us to explore the healing power of a joyful heart, reflecting on Proverbs 17:22 and the idea that “a joyful heart is good medicine.” Together, we’ll learn how joy isn’t just a fleeting feeling, but a choice we can make—regardless of our personality or circumstances—that has the power to transform our hearts, our homes, and our relationships. Through personal stories and practical encouragement, we’ll discover ways to cultivate gratitude and let God’s joy strengthen us daily.

Join our My Morning Devotional community in prayer and devotion as we ask God to fill us with abiding joy and become beacons of positivity for those around us.

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You're listening to my Morning Devotional podcast, episode 1358.

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Today's Devo is called Christian Medicine.

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Hey there. We're the Alessies, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast. Good morning, everybody, and happy Wednesday. We have made it to the middle of the week.

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I just want to say thank you for listening, for being a part of this series. We are reading your comments every day, so please let us know how this month has impacted you. Tell us which episode has been a blessing, which episode has spoken to you and why. Please share with us because we are doing this together as Christians. We want to be better Christians and better daughters and sons of God. And so we know the proverbs can help us do that. And we want to hear from you. So please comment. Let us know what's standing out to you, what's speaking to you. We want to listen. And maybe we can share some of these comments on another episode and do something like that. That would be kind of cool.

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But let's get into today's proverb. And I'm reading Proverbs

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22, and it says, a joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. I love this proverb because it says, a joyful heart is good medicine.

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And I, I want to share a little story, but my son, Marino, he is, in my opinion, the cutest baby in the entire world. And he's really not even a baby anymore. He's already 2 years old, but he is just a happy boy. He's content. And my, my husband looked at him one day and said, you know, Rochelle, Marino really just has a happy heart.

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And I know he's only two years old, but then I looked at my husband and I'm like, Chris, he gets that from you. You're 30 something years old and you're the same way. You just have a happy heart. And I realized that my husband just carries a joy with him everywhere he goes. And it's not because his personality is just a complete extrovert and he loves people. I think it really comes to who he chooses to be every day. And I just started to think about it a little bit more, and then I read this proverb and I'm like, oh, my gosh, there it is because my husband could have a horrible day and have things that really crush his spirit and hurt him or things that are burdening him, but he just chooses joy.

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Every time he chooses to say, I'm going to process this hour for 30 minutes and after that I'm done.

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And when he's done, he is done. And he chooses joy. He does things that makes him happy.

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He changes his thoughts and his actions and positions himself in a way of just being a joyful person.

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And I saw that and I said, wow, my son in two years is seeing his dad choose joy. And that just encouraged me so much because it's something that's like, oh, as a Christian, I can have this. I don't have to be a certain personality to be joyful. And then this proverb says, a joyful heart is good medicine.

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That means that as Christians, we need some time, we need joy.

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When we are not feeling good and we take medicine and we start to feel better, your body changes, it actually heals you. And so I wonder if joy might be the thing that can heal, heal our heart today or heal this situation.

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And so I encourage you, have a happy heart. Have a joyful heart with everything. Choose joy today.

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Even if there is things that are trying to crush your spirit, even if there are people whose words are hurting you.

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Put boundaries and let the word of God be your shield and your protector. Let the Lord be your everything.

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And after you've made the decision, say, I'm going to choose joy.

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I'm going to be happy today. I don't have to be extroverted happy, but inwardly my soul is going to choose joy. Because I'm going to see the good of God right now in my life, the things that I do have, and have gratefulness for that. And then let this beautiful space of gratefulness and choosing joyfulness lift up your spirit, build your soul again and see how that can change your day, your month and your year, how that can change your relationships, how that can change your home.

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Sometimes when I get home and I don't feel the joy that we're talking about, I just need to tell my husband, hey, Chris, I need your joy today. I need that in. And he knows. But then I have to choose to say, yes, I'm going to be the receiver end of that joy, but then I'm going to take it and give it back. And it just becomes, it creates such beautiful moments in our home. And now to see our son as a 2 year old have a happy heart, it changes everything. But it's us choosing joy. And so I encourage you choose joy today no matter what. Let's pray. Dear Father God, thank you because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

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Even in hard situations. We can choose joy.

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We can choose gratefulness. We are not tied down to feel crushed every single day, Father, because we are your children.

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And so I pray that not only do we choose joy, but that you will bring joyous people around every single listener today day so they can edify their spirit, so they can be refreshed, so they can be a receiver of that joy, but then a giver of that joy. So they can change the environment that they're in, but also their everyday just life and walk with you so they can feel great in the relationship that they have with you and in themselves. In Jesus name I pray.

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Amen. So there you have it. Your 5 minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.