Happy Heart, Healthy Heart
Proverbs 15:13, 30 NKJ
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones healthy.
Having a healthy physical heart, we know, is important. But so is having a healthy spiritual heart. When Solomon is writing about the heart, he is not referring to the blood pump but rather the inner man, the spiritual heart. And when the inner man, our inner life, is happy, it impacts all of our life.
Happy on the inside, happy on the outside. When our inner life is joyful, it will show up on our faces. We know how the opposite works. Someone you know well can just walk into a room, and you’ll ask what’s wrong. Just their demeanor and the look on their face, even if they are not aware of it, indicates that something is off. And Solomon tells us that when the heart is full of sorrow, the spirit is broken. Hundreds of years later, Paul wrote about sorrow in his letter to the Corinthians. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJ
Paul had written to the church about an area where they were off track. His letter produced a godly sorrow. That’s the sorrow that causes repentance, a change, a turnaround before God. That’s a good sorrow because it leads to a better place. But the sorrow of the world due to loss, or trauma, or negative circumstances works death. Not a ceasing to exist but a separation from the life and strength of God.
Obviously, in this world, we are going to experience situations that generate sorrow. This is simply part of the fallen world we are living in. So how can we get to the place where sorrow is not the dominant force working in our lives? It’s a good question with layers of answers, but Solomon gives us some instructions in verse thirty. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Again, we must look past the physical to grasp what Solomon is saying. The light of the eyes is not talking about sunlight but rather the entrance of God’s light that we find in His Word. When God reveals a verse to our heart, it rejoices the heart. Many times, over the years, when I have been dealing with a situation that has caused sorrow, a word from the Lord has lifted my heart out of the sorrowful state. His word caused light to come, and even though the situation looked dark and bleak, His light caused my heart to rejoice.
A great prayer during times of sorrow is to ask the Lord what He is saying about the situation. The entrance of His words brings light according to Psalm 119:130. Another thing we can do to keep our heart in a good place is to regularly read His Word. God’s Word will have a good report to it. His Word brings hope, so reading on a regular basis can help us counteract the negative reports constantly coming our way. And evidently, a good report that rejoices the heart is good for our bones. Here is a quick synopsis of what bone health does for us. “Healthy bones are far more than just a structural frame; they function as a complex organ system that regulates everything from your blood chemistry to your hormonal balance. When bone health is optimal, it creates a ripple effect across nearly every other bodily system.” So science says bone health is good. We have to keep in mind that science is always catching up with the wisdom of God. Science tells us bone health is important, and God tells us how to have healthy bones.
A happy rejoicing heart is not a nice biblical phrase; it’s a key to a healthier life.
Prayer
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for showing me how I can live on a higher level as I follow You and Your plan for mankind.