Today's Bible Reading PROVERBS 11:1-13:25
Good Word
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
We live in a world of worry. This world weighs us down. Things press heavy on us. The difficulties and dilemmas of family, finances, friendships, the future and even our faith causes severe stress and strain in our lives. The pressures of this life press down on us producing anxiety. For some depression and despair overtake them. For others they manage worry well. No matter how we respond to emotional distress there is hope on the horizon. There is light in our darkness. Solomon here gives us a hand of hope to heal our heart.
This condition can create distress, despair and disillusionment. We feel paralyzed and perplexed by our predicament. We can’t see a way through our thoughts or beyond our bewilderment. We are trapped in our thoughts. Worry seems like it will win the day.
Understanding the cause of this condition can lead to relief. Solomon states that “Anxiety in a man’s heart” leads to this weightiness within. Worry has weaseled its way into our heart and created our despair. In antiquity the heart was the seat of our will, not our emotions. It was the source of our decision-making. It was the heart that dictated our actions. Yet when the heart is incapable of rational and reasonable actions then depression can result. Our will becomes stifled and stuck and we can’t react with clarity and conviction. Even with a myriad of options afforded to us to alleviate our distress, we can’t seem to find what we need.
Solomon offers a solution. He writes, “but a good word makes Him glad”. The cure for our “worried heart” is a good word. It is a good word that makes our heart glad. Something we hear rejuvenates us. Something we read replenishes us. Our struggling soul is strengthened. Our depressed soul finds delight. This good word causes our despair to decline and our depression to dissipate. We are revitalized and renew. The new day dawns on our night of despair. A simple word, a song, a spoken word, a note, a good word for our worry is what we need. This good word is even better if it is God’s Word. It is the best remedy for what weighs us down. His word is the light that shines in our darkness. It is the lamp that illuminates our path. We are gladdened by what God has said. So, when we find that we are beset with worry, it is His word that will brighten our day.
So today, find hope in what you hear. Rejoicing in what you read. Share a word with a worrying friend. Encourage them with a simple phrase that brings a smile in their struggle. Worry can’t weigh us down when there is a good word. We need God’s word, to lift us up. His is the “good word” that makes us glad.
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