DAY 78 – 90 Days in Proverbs - Lifting Heavy Hearts
Proverbs 12:25 [KJV] Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
While the Hebrew word is translated “heaviness” in the King James Version, it actually means anxious or anxious care. This is often a self-imposed heaviness that we can find relief from by focusing on the Good Word of God’s promises to His children.
The English Standard Version uses the word “anxiety” instead. It says, Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. [Proverbs 12:25 ESV] We each face trials and troubles in our lives – trials and troubles that can cause anxiety. Maybe it is a wakeful night worrying about a medical test. Or maybe it is a season of worry about a grown child who is making bad choices that are negatively affecting his/her life.
Jesus also offered us some guidance on anxiousness and anxious care.
Matthew 6:25, 28, 31, 34 [NKJV] 25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ... 28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ... 31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ... 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble.”
I believe Jesus is saying that we should not allow these physical concerns like food and clothes to weigh our hearts down, as Solomon also warned in Proverbs 12:25. Jesus isn’t saying that we should not work to provide food and clothing for ourselves and our families. He is saying that the Father is faithful to provide these to us because He cares for us.
Sisters, when we have anxious cares, the Word of God is there to help lift our hearts back to gladness. We can focus on His promises. We can read about the guaranteed victory that is waiting for the faithful. We can focus on the blessings God has provided in the past, recalling the times He has rescued us, provided for us and given us peace even in difficult times. Counting our blessings isn’t just something we sing about. It is also a very effective method of helping to lift a heart that is heavy with anxious cares about things we need.
Sweet sisters, I hope you are not burdened with anxious care today. However, if you are experiencing troubles that are causing you anxiety, please seek wise counsel for help out of your situation, if possible. Please also take it to God in prayer and ask others to pray for you. Please also count your blessings and center yourself in the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. And I pray you will be relieved of the anxiety that is burdening you today.
Prayer: Father God, sometimes I get anxious about my physical needs or the physical needs of my family and friends. In those times, please help me to remember all you have done for me. In those times, help me to lift my heart with the promises in Your Word. And when my friends or family are experiencing anxious care, please help me to be a comfort to them, lifting their heavy hearts with words of comfort, love and peace. In the name of your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Your thoughts —
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