MORE HEART HEALTH WISDOM
PROVERBS 15:13-15 NKJV
13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
I am going to put these three verses together. They help provide some God-given wisdom regarding the health of heart, our inner life.
In yesterday's devotional, we referenced that when our heart is healthy, it impacts our entire well-being. God's peace and joy are heart boosters, while envy and fear are toxic to our inner life. Verse 13 says that a happy heart will show up on the outside. We can often observe the heart condition by the expressions on our face. Sorrow of heart breaks us down on the inside.
Verse 14 may seem to be a standalone verse, but I believe there is an application here that will help us. When we have an understanding of the importance of our heart health, our spiritual life as it impacts our well-being, it causes us to seek for more knowledge in this area. Searching the scriptures and asking the Lord for His wisdom are some of the ways that God's knowledge comes our way. But feeding on foolishness is not helping us.
I am not opposed to social media and the internet, but if we want to get stronger on the inside, we'll have to pay closer attention to what we feed on. So much of what is available is either foolish or negative and fear-inducing. We generally recognize that if we want to be healthy in our bodies, our diet is the first place we start. And our spiritual life works the same way. I am not advocating an internet ban, but I am in favor of limiting the things that do not help or strengthen. It takes a greater amount of energy to read scripture, good books, and listen to messages. But the result is a stronger, healthier heart, and that is what changes life.
Verse 15 is a fascinating verse. All the days of the afflicted are evil. The NLT version says, “For the despondent, every day brings trouble." When someone is down and suffering in their mind and emotions, when their inner life is in a bad state, life is bad. When our perspective is sour, life takes on a sour tone. Thank God this may have been our condition up until now, but it can change. The scriptures do not tell us that our lives are destined to be afflicted and sad. We can have a merry heart, a happy heart.
This happy heart being strong and sound on the inside produces a life that is perpetually happy. Again, the NLT says, "For the happy heart, life is a continual feast." We can have a happy heart. We can live with the joy of the Lord regardless of what is going on around us. Of course, this happy heart will not fall on us. We'll have a big part in the condition of our heart.
Thankfully, we have God's Word and His Holy Spirit to help us and guide us into the truth that makes us free. And the Lord helps us so we can be strong on the inside. So pursue the knowledge that produces a strong heart, a joy-filled heart, and don't feed on the junk food of the soul.
PRAYER
Lord, I want to live in Your joy and strength. Guide me by Your Word and Your Spirit into a merry heart.