I am grateful for devotions that are “ah-HA” devotions.

My devotion this morning from Dad’s David Jeremiah devotional he received a year ago from Aunt Patsy and Uncle Charlie:

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord for the Lord heard it. – Numbers 11:1

Leadership expert Erik Calonius tells of a study of 12,000 interconnected people in Massachusetts that found that happiness passes from one person to another like flu. The closer you are to a happy person, the happier you’ll be. Statistically, each happy friend a person has increases that person’s probability of being happy by about 9%. Every unhappy friend decreases it by 7%. Experts call this “contagion.”

Readers of Exodus aren’t surprised, for negative attitudes swept through the Israelites in epidemic waves. For example, in chapter 15 the Israelites burst into hymns over the parting of the Red Sea; but by the end of the chapter, they were grumbling again.

The attitude you’re carrying right now will spread to somebody else today. If you’re joyful, you’ll lift their spirits. If you’re angry, you’ll infect them with negative feelings. The Bible tells us to exhort one another, to hold fast to our faith, and to spread abroad the love of God with overflowing hearts.