Feast Or Famine
Proverbs 15:13 & 15 NKJV
13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.
You may have heard the term feast or famine. It’s a description of the extremes that life can bring our way. Feast when things are good and abundant. Famine when things go sour, and life is lean and hard. The proverbs offer a similar contrast, except our verses for today are all about heart conditions.
A glad, or happy, heart shows up on our faces. A classic example of what’s on the inside will show up on the outside. Verse fifteen takes it a step further by declaring that the one with a happy heart, a cheerful heart, has a continual feast. When our inner life is strong and positive, it impacts our entire life. Again, our inner life impacts our entire life. From the look on our face to our enjoyment of life, what is on the inside plays a major role in how we experience life.
That is the feast side. But on the famine side, the broken heart, the one with heartache, crushes or breaks down the spirit. The New King James Version shines light on what causes heartache. In a very simple form, it’s sorrow. Sorrow in the heart drains us of life. Sorrow of heart can cause every day to be a bad day. Someone who is afflicted or oppressed is usually dealing with sorrow. Paul warned that the sorrow of the world works death in 2 Corinthians 7:10. The NLT version of verse fifteen says that “for the despondent every day brings trouble." Again, we see the inner condition impacting the entire life. Not doing good inside and everything that comes our way filters through the negative. When we are sorrowful in heart, we tend to weed out the good and embrace the bad. This is just another reason the scriptures tell us to guard our heart.
So how do we develop a happy, cheerful heart? Great question. I will start with making sure we control what we are hearing and seeing. And that we are depositing good things into our hearts on a regular basis. I am looking at you, Bible 365. Add in a good dose of thankfulness and rejoicing, and don’t forget going to God with our cares and worries. I am not being flippant. The instructions sound very simplistic, but how we take care of our heart is totally doable. The results are worth it. Feast or famine? We have a say as to which one is dominant in our life.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that I do not have to live with a broken, sorrowful heart. Thank You for Your Word and Spirit that help me develop a heart with genuine joy.