A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

I was on a plane one day when this scripture came to my mind and I started meditating on it both as an encouragement knowing the value of good medicine, but also as a challenge thinking of how to maintain a merry heart when there are so many things trying to affect the condition of your heart.  Proverbs 4: 23 says we should keep and guard our heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. So, as I thought about this some more, I realised that there are some things we can do to maintain a merry heart.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” James 1:22

As a believer in Jesus Christ understanding the authority of His word, I have been challenged in many areas of my life by situations and circumstances that appeared to be either beyond my control or self-inflicted. However, I always recognise the grace of God that has sustained me through those situations and given me the victory. Faith in God’s word and promises has always given me hope and confidence that it will be alright, no matter what.