Do You Have a “Merry” Heart?

We often find ourselves wishing one another a “Merry Christmas” during the Christmas season…by the way have the Christmas decorations hit the stores yet?  Thankfully the answer to that question is “no”.  But what does it mean to have a “Merry Christmas”?   In the section below from Proverbs 15, there are two verses which use the word “merry” to describe our heart.  Let’s read this section and focus in on verses 13 and 15:

 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,
And he who hates correction will die. 11  Hell and Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.  12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.  13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.  15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

We are reminded in vs 13 that a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.  I think this is true.  If you are “merry” on the inside, that will show through on the outside.  Your countenance, your facial expressions, will be changed because of a merry heart.  Then in verse 15 we are told that the person with a merry heart has a continual feast.  This is contrasted with the days of the “afflicted” which are evil.  Again, what is found on the inside, determines the actions on the outside.  We can have a “continuous feast” even when the outside circumstances don’t seem to warrant such an attitude.

The ability to do this comes from the Spirit of God who lives within us.  The word “merry” means “rejoicing”.  It is more than simply putting on a smile.  It is having a smile because of the joy that rests within.  This kind of joy is available to us through the Holy Spirit.  The task for us is to allow the Spirit of God to manifest HIS joy through us, so that we can be merry at all times.  I know that we will fail at times to allow this but if we trust in the Lord and follow Him, we will be merry most of the time….Also, the continual feast is one of no calories!!!

In wisdom,
Eric