Proverbs - What is a Merry Heart?

Proverbs 17:22

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

When our hearts are merry our bodies actually function much better.  When our inner man is not working right, our frame becomes brittle and unable to support us through our lives.  A merry heart is not just an outward expression of joy but an inner state of mind.  A merry heart is within us.  A merry heart is one that is settled in as accepted and loved by no merit of its own but by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  A merry heart has a sense of purpose given by the One who dwells within it by faith.  A merry heart is feasting on promises given by the One who never disappoints.  A merry heart is considering all that the Lord has done for it.  A merry heart is not weighed down with unconfessed sin.  A merry heart is looking to be a source of blessing and refreshment to others.  A merry heart recognizes the most simple events of the day as glimpses of God’s faithfulness and love.  A merry heart connects history with the present and anticipates the future being a further revelation of God’s presence and position.  A merry heart delights in a child’s laughter, a dog’s facial expression, a cake’s decorated beauty, the smell of meat and onions being united in a hot pan, the clean, hot water of a morning shower, the soft, tender sheets that surround us as we sleep and other daily events that are often not appreciated or taken in.  By having this peace of God ruling in our hearts we are free to absorb the rich life we so enjoy and it does good like medicine.  I think of anti-inflammatory medication.  These are taken to reduce the swelling of some sort of injury that we might not have the pain.  Having a merry heart will reduce the swelling of legitimate injuries that we might move more freely and with less pain.