Walk of Life – Day 14 – September 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14: 30 – A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

The NLT version says ” A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones”

Health is the talk of the day. With the pandemic around, everywhere you see there are immunity boosters, health drinks, supplements, fitness tips, and the list is endless. Never has man been more health conscious than at this age and time. The number of fitness videos on YouTube, the number of times health, fitness, or any related term is googled, is truly far higher than any time in history.

The Bible has a perfect solution. A heart at rest, a heart content, or a heart at peace, is the first step toward a healthy living.  The heart is the throne of our motives, attitudes, and emotions. A sound heart means a heart that is surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ and is cleansed from sin. Such a heart is free from injury, damage, or decay, one that shows good judgement and one that is righteous, pure, wise, full of integrity and honesty, and one that is right before God and man. When a person is right with himself, with others, and with God, he is peaceful and calm and not perturbed by situations around him.

There is no room for anger, envy, jealousy, pride, covetousness, and the like. When your inner man is strong, the body also gains strength.  Proverbs 17:22 says “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

For a healthy body, there are so many suggestions and there is a lot of advice available both online and offline. What about a sound heart. Let us understand the recipe of a sound heart.

• A heart in which the Lord Jesus dwells. A person fully and wholly surrendered to Christ. He should be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.
• A heart in tune with the Master. If a musical instrument is not tuned, it produces bizarre sounds and the musician will be embarrassed if he plays at a concert. You must be one who every day hears the voice of the shepherd and walks accordingly or in other words, regular systematic Bible reading.
• A heart filled with God’s Word. Many of us think that just quiet time is sufficient. But do we not eat several times a day. We feed ourselves with main course, starters, dessert, and so many snacks in between. It is very important to rightly divide the Word of Truth. For that, we need to study the Bible and memorize the Word whenever we can. Develop a systematic study plan and meditate on the Word of God. You need to relish and chew on God’s Word so it will truly bring peace to your heart.
• A heart that speaks to the Master in prayer. Your prayer life is one of the key foundations to a sound and healthy heart. A relationship is always two-way. The Lord speaks through His Word and you must speak to Him in prayer. The psalmist prayed seven times a day and Daniel three times. Always be in communication with the Savior. Share with Him your deepest longings, your desires, your fears, and your joys. Not that He doesn’t know, but He desires to have communion with you. If you keep your heart in tune with the Lord, then no jealousy or hatred or envy can ever enter in.

Proverbs 4:23 says “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life”

So be watchful what you fill your heart and mind with, for if your heart is at peace, you will be healthy also and the Lord will bless the work of your hands.