What
thoughts are in our minds? Have we had losses
in our lives? Has someone hurt us with
their words or actions? Have we suffered
from lack, sickness, discouragement, and disappointment? All these thoughts go into our hearts and can
run on a “loop in our minds”, day in and day out…. with seemingly no hope of
erasing them. How can we counter-act
these images and words? There is an
antidote to this negative stress-filled scenario. Is has to do with what we
“put” into our mind’s eye… we CAN fill it with hope. We CAN change the outlook in our minds and
hearts with God’s Word.
The book of
Proverbs is filled with “issues of the heart”.
It tells us to “trust in the LORD with all your heart” and to consider not
only “your own understanding”, but to acknowledge God and then “He will make
your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6) There have been times in all our lives when
our “paths” have not been straight but instead filled with obstacles and
delays!
When we read
and listen to the Word of God, His words go into our hearts. The Lord encourages
us to: “pay attention to my words and be willing to learn; Open your ears to my
sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; Keep them in the center of
your heart. For they are life to those who find them And healing and health to
all their flesh”. (Proverbs 4:20-22 AMP)
Life, healing, and health to all our flesh is a promise when we pay attention
to and keep God’s word in the center of our hearts.
The
following translations tell us the importance of guarding our hearts:
Proverbs
4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from
it.
The Darby
Translation: Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it
are the issues of life.
All the
issues of our life come from what is in our hearts. Everything we do “flows” from what is in our
hearts!
Proverbs
23:7 (NKJV) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
How do we
“see” ourselves? Can we laugh at life’s
uncertainty? Can we smile when we see
someone receive a gift or favor in their circumstances? Are there too many
uncomfortable memories? Or have too many negative words been spoken against us
so that we have doubts about ourselves?
Often a lack of appreciation or lack of kind words can keep our hearts
filled with “less than” thoughts about life and all it has to offer for
us. What can give us more JOY? What can
give us a “merry heart”?
Nehemiah
8:10 says: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The
Lord’s JOY is our strength. He never
runs out of joy! It is ours for the
asking. And His joy will strengthen us.
Proverbs
15:13 (NKJV) A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the
heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs
17:22 (KJV) A merry heart doeth good like medicine:
but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
A merry
heart…. Can we really have one? How do we get and keep a merry heart? What we
keep in our hearts is important and defines who we are: “A good man produces
good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his
hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45
TLB)
Jesus tells
us to “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” because He has
given us His peace. That is the inheritance Jesus has given to us: His shalom peace which is: peace,
provision, protection, health, and wealth from His finished work on the cross. (John
14:27)
Romans 5:1
says that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and verse 5
continues: “now hope
does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
As born-again believers, the love of God HAS BEEN poured out into out hearts! That love can counteract all the negative
issues that have come against us. God’s love can keep our heart filled with joy
= a merry heart!
What can we
do each day to keep the love of God in our hearts?
Here is some
daily encouragement: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about
everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful
than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your
hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 TLB)
Begin each
day remembering what the Lord Jesus has done for us, given us, and poured out
in our hearts. Then walk filled with His joy, His love, and His peace which
will shine from your faces from a merry heart.
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