Evil Vs. Merry Heart

Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified Bible)

4:23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

B. The merry heart has a continual feast

"but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."

The secret is have a merry heart or be content - better than an endless feast.

Philippians 4:4 (Amplified Bible)

4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

Psalms 37:4 (Amplified Bible)

37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

1 Peter 4:13 (Amplified Bible)

4:13 But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].

Proverbs 17:22 (Amplified Bible)

17:22 A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 12:25 (Amplified Bible)

12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad.

Proverbs 15:13 (Amplified Bible)

15:13 A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.

Illustration:

Years ago back in college days, there's a young woman who always cries for everything yet she accepted the LORD in her heart, I thought this will be a good leader for she's always broken-hearted in everything, for me back in those days if you're broken hearted you are a humble person, but it annoys me that she always cries everything unto me, then I told her 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all her cares to the LORD for the LORD cares for her. So I left her alone, and she continues to grow in the LORD as a bible study leader, weeks later I never saw her again in the services, and latest news she belonged to a cult. What happened? She never casted her cares and burdens to the LORD, she never rejoiced of the LORD's victory for her.

A church before capitalizes and majored in "brokenness" according to that church, "a broken heart is anointing" so they wipe scented oils in their eyes before commissioning and laying hands on a person, they have to be broken enough, crying, moaning and crying bitterly before they lay hands, I left them alone. It's time to rejoice because of the LORD's victory.

Have you seen a person in your church, where that person is always sad and afflicted it's like carrying the whole world in their shoulders, they tend to be anxious and not celebrate. Remind them of the song, "He's got the whole world in His hands.."

IX. CONCLUSION:

Nehemiah 8:10 (Amplified Bible)

8:10 Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.

Everything is all right if your heart is rejoicing in the LORD. All sadness is according to your circumstances, but all rejoicing is in the reason of the LORD. It's a difficult, hard and sad thing to live in this world but we choose to rejoice in the LORD. There's always a choice and an option for the children of GOD.