Proverbs 15:13-15, How’s Your Heart Condition?

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September 20, Proverbs 15:13-15

Hab. 3:17-18; 2 Tim. 4:6-8 “I will joy in the God of my salvation”.

How’s Your Heart Condition?

The Bible is the “heart-specialist” book! Its diagnosis of your heart condition will be true. Will you accept its findings and follow its infallible prescription? Our three proverbs today all have this in common – they deal with the heart. “The Bible speaks much about human hearts and much to human hearts” (Thomas).

1. Joyful Hearts: A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance (v.13a). Glad hearts make glowing faces! This merry heart has the true joy of God (and of Christ). It is not mindless frivolity so common among Christians today. The Christ-like heart shines out of the face. This is true radiance, true beauty, for the face is the mirror of the soul. We can to some degree hide our emotions, thankfully, but our neighbour can still detect something of them as well. Thank God, we are not so many statues cast in stone in a museum. The Christ-heart of Stephen produced the face of an angel. This is a merry heart because it makes good the face (v.13a). It is a sound heart seeking more knowledge (v.14). Its attitude fills the meanest and poorest life with gratitude. Poverty cannot rob this heart of a continual feast (v.15b). Joy suits no one so much as one of God’s saints.

2. Sorrowful Hearts: By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken (v.13b). Heavy clouds hang over this heart! There is so much discontent, so much melancholy, so much sorrow, hurt or pain (so Hebrew), that leads to a breaking of the spirit. This is the very opposite of joy. It feeds on folly (v.14b). This person sees nothing but doom and gloom, thus producing a heart whose days know only affliction and evil (v.15a). All of life becomes cursed, for “sorrow and trouble break many a bubble.” It is the sorrow of the world that worketh death, but godly sorrow brings you to trust in the atoning work of Christ (2 Cor. 7:10).

3. Great-full Hearts: These are growing hearts. That is where not being satisfied is a virtue! The “great-full heart” never says “I am full! I have enough!” Being wise, he knows how little he knows, how empty he still is! What knowledge does he seek? Only what is sound, wholesome, never novelty or empty speculation. Like Nicodemus and Mary, he sits at the feet of the Master. Like the noble Bereans, he searches the Scriptures daily. He wants to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:18). Great-full hearts are never stunted. Only fools feed on foolishness. To be satisfied with one’s folly is a sin! Such a one has acquired a taste for folly. He feeds on himself. “Chews his own cud,” and has no relish for solid food. Here is the opposite of the great-full heart. “Young people! guard against this folly at every turn. Avoid those trifling amusements, frivolous reading, profane merriment” (Bridges). How timely is this advice for the aged as well as the youth. Don’t flatter yourself in your folly!

Thought: “God alone sees the heart; the heart alone sees God” (Manton).

Prayer: Lord, “Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee.”