A Happy Heart

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

Proverbs 15:13-15

There are times for genuine mourning, despair, and even anger at injustice. But in our everyday moments, a smile can be a relief, hope, and the grace needed to continue.

Perhaps the point of the proverb is that a smile naturally results from the condition of our inner beings. A “happy heart” is at peace, content, and yielded to God’s best. With such a heart, happy from the inside out, we can respond to surprising circumstances with a genuine smile, inviting others to embrace the hope and peace they too can experience with God.

Encourage one another and build each other up.

Our Daily Bread – December 28, 2017