John D. Rockefeller, snr., had made his first million dollars by the age of 33. At the age of 43 he controlled the biggest business in the world. At 53 he became the world’s first billionaire. Sadly, through working day and night his health broke down and the richest man on earth was reduced to eating only crackers and milk. At this low point his attitude towards money changed and he cheerfully began to think about how much he could give away instead of how much he could keep. From then on his health steadily improved and he lived to be 98!

Perhaps without realising it, Rockefeller had proved these words of Jesus to be true, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [ Acts 20:35 ] The word blessed means happy which is what God wants us to be. What a pity medical science was so slow to believe God’s word which says, “A merry heart does good like a medicine.” [ Proverbs 17:22 ]

60 years ago hospital visiting was very restricted but now it’s encouraged because cheerful visitors do good like a medicine! Over 200 years ago a doctor told Henry Venn, the vicar of Huddersfield, that he only had about 3 weeks to live. The soul of this dear old man was so full of love for Jesus that the prospect of him going to see his Saviour in Heaven filled him with such joy that this merry medicine prolonged his life by 6 months!

Recent statistics show that people who have a living faith in God live longer. Some atheistic philosophies can have a similar effect but they cannot make a healthy soul. Here’s a poem that sums it up:

To lose your wealth is much,
To lose your health is more,
To lose your soul is such a loss
That nothing can restore