Choose a Merry Heart!

I love the book of Proverbs and find so much encouraging wisdom in its verses. One of my favorites is: “All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” (15:15). Normally we think of affliction as things such as sickness, sorrow, death, despair, abuse, and poverty—the necessary pains of life that we must pass through. But notice that in this verse we have a couplet. The first half of the couplet is “All the days of the afflicted are evil,” and the second half of the couplet is “He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” A couplet compares by placing two thoughts parallel to each other. So the writer is comparing the afflicted to the merry in heart and saying the first will have evil and the second a feast.

When we look at it this way we realize, that “the afflicted” in this case are not those who are sick, sorrowing, or grieving. Instead the author is drawing a comparison between those who are afflicted with negative thinking and those who have merry hearts or positive thinking. This affliction that brings about evil is the unnecessary pain we inflict upon ourselves because of our attitudes and the way we fight against truth. When we afflict ourselves with negative thoughts it can only lead to bad and evil. It is what happens when we fall into the Pit of Illusion. When we have a merry heart we feast on good and righteousness. That is what is ours when we live in Truth.

So choose the merry heart and feast (continually) on the joy and happiness that is available in any given moment.