Solomon wrote, “a merry heart has a continual feast.”

But why does it seem like so many of us are not feasting? How do we maintain a merry heart?

Too often, we brood and complain over all the things we lack. Somehow we’ve come to believe that if good things would only come our way, we’d be truly happy.

But it’s not good things that bring a merry heart—it’s living a life of wholehearted faith!

Paul said that he was content both in want and in plenty!

Matthew Henry said, “Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes men torment themselves; it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and all the enjoyments sour; it is the heaviness of the heart and the rottenness of the bones.”

A third-century man penned these last words to a friend: “It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians—and I am one of them.”

Lord, help us not to focus on the worldly things we lack. Help us to master our souls and overcome the world. We want to be men and women of great faith! Lord, you have come that your joy would remain in us, and that our joy would remain full. Help us to experience the full joy you have for us today. In Jesus Name we pray!

Let’s begin feasting and filling our spiritual bellies with His Word! Let’s make our mouths to be filled with His praise. The joy of the Lord is our strength!

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

–by George Whitten