A Merry Heart Prov. 15:13 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Prov 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

For the most part God wants us to have a merry heart – joy is part of the fruit of spirit – the joy of Macedonians was seen in their liberal giving in the midst of poverty and affliction – in Acts 8 we see the joy of the church in the midst of persecution – a merry heart will put a smile on your face and a joy in your countenance that will cheer the broken hearted and spread the love of God – Sam Jones said that the devil can do more harm for the cause of Christ by putting a frown on your face than by putting a case of whiskey on the steeple.

But there are also benefits of a sorrowful heart – we should have godly sorrow in repentance and a broken and contrite spirit to bring us to God – Ps 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

I look back on the broken spirit of repentance [2 Cor 7:10] in my own life and thank God for the change and his saving grace.  But after you get saved and turn from the things from which you need to repent, it is time for a merry heart.

Here are some things that will give you a merry heart:

Salvation – Luke 15:23-24 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.  And after you are saved go get others saved so that the merry heart will continue.

God’s Goodness – 2 Chr 7:10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

Songs of Praise – James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms – I woke up one Monday morning at 4:30 and just dozed for two more hours with songs of praise in my mind and heart.

The benefits of a merry heart are:

Healing – Prov 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. – Contrast depression with a good sense of humor – as one man said, “Laugh at yourself or you’ll leave the job to someone else.”

Feasting – Prov 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Caution: don’t let your merriment damn your soul!  Luke 12:19-20 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?