A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13 NIV
I like rehab shows where people see the possibilities in houses, situations, and people that have "fallen off the rails" so to speak. Some of my favorites have been Restaurant Impossible, What Not To Wear, Dog Whisperer, and Curb Appeal. They all start with diagnostics and research - leading to confrontation and finally a new understanding and a new beginning. Have you ever had to give someone bad news for their own good, but maybe it didn't go as well as you hoped? Maybe that confrontation ended a relationship with someone you love. Maybe you were on the receiving end and have a crushed spirit. Whatever happened in the past or your current situation - God's got some great advice for us in Proverbs 15 to communicate needed change into a receptive heart.
When people are in a good mood they are more receptive, open and can see possibilities. Song has power to change our mood and bring us into a place of receptivity. This is why teenagers can be easily depressed while listening to the same song over and over. For little children you can sing "If your happy and you know it clap your hands...If your happy and you know it then your face will surely show it, if your happy and you know it clap your hands."
Words are powerful and alter the path of our lives. Lord help us to be receptive to your truth, to seek you first and take it to heart.
Proverbs 15, says about God
- The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
- The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright.
- The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue godliness.
- Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the Lord . How much more does he know the human heart!
- The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he protects the property of widows.
- The Lord detests evil plans, but he delights in pure words.
- The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:3, 8-9, 11, 25-26, 29 NLT