May 15 - Proverbs 15

Solomon's primary themes continue ... heed discipline ... pay attention to righteousness ... watch what comes out of your mouth. 

One thing that appears in this chapter that catches my attention is the statement in verse 15:  "the cheerful heart has a continual feast."  Doesn't that sound delightful - a continual feast!  That verse makes me think about having a cheerful heart ... do I have one?  Do you?  What constitutes a cheerful heart?  It certainly cannot be the absence of pain and/or hard times - no one would qualify.  The Hebrew word translated here is one that means "pleasant, agreeable, happy".  It seems to me this writer is saying with that kind of heart ... there is fullness ... always.

Verse 13 says that a happy heart makes the face cheerful ... and verse 30 says that a cheerful look brings joy to the heart.  Wait ... which comes first ... the happy heart or the cheerful countenance?  I think we have a chicken and the egg scenario here.  Perhaps they are so closely interwoven that one cannot give a clear description of which comes first.  The condition of your heart effects your face and the condition of your face effects your heart. 

Maybe wisdom would tell us to pay attention to both things.  The condition of my heart ... and the condition of my face. 

It's late tonight ... so I will have to plan to practice tomorrow ... a cheerful face ... a cheerful heart.
I think I shall pray about that as I go to sleep ...