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Daily Devotion: Proverbs 15:13-17

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Proverbs 15:13-17    "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  (14)  The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.  (15)  All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.  (16)  Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.  (17)  Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."

Solomon is setting forth two states of heart and mind in these verses. And quite honestly, we have a choice as to which way we approach life. We can either decide that we are going to be miserable and try to make everyone else miserable, or we can decide that the blessings of God in our lives far outweigh anything else that might be going on. We have the results of each mindset that is listed in these verses. We can choose to allow things of life to override our joy, or we can look to the wonderful things that God has done for us and has brought into our lives. The second of these choices brings joy and peace and encouragement. I encourage each of us to look slowly at these verses and see how they apply to us. We can know for a fact that there are circumstances that come into our lives that are outside our realm of control. There are negative events that can bring us down. We cannot control events, but we can control our responses to them. Verse 14 tells us that we should seek to know God's purpose in these events and learn from the experience. It seems the days are always bad for us if we only look at the negative. The bottom line, or point of stability, comes from our true heartfelt fellowship with God. Am I really walking with Him or am I talking a good talk? If I am truly walking with Him, then I will understand that even little things become a source of joy and contentment. If I can walk in the warmth of God's love, then I can find true peace in my life and that will control my heart and my countenance.

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