March 11, 2026 Morning Devotional

Morning Devotion: Read Proverbs

Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Your outlook on life or your world view or your biblical world view or your personal view of life has so much to do with your heart.

If your outlook is negative, sullen, morose and melancholy you will most likely have problems. If you see problems with everything and are critical of everything your heart will suffer.

However, those who see life in a merry, positive, opportunistically, worthwhile, confident, forward-looking, cheerful way have a different disposition of the heart.

I believe it was Corrie Ten Boom who said: “If you look within you will be depressed, If you look without you will be distressed, if you look up you will be blessed.”

Proverbs 12:25  Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

Proverbs 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

We know that there will be times of heaviness and times of sorrow, but those times are when we turn to the Lord to help and sustain us.

In the book of John, in chapter thirteen, Jesus washes His disciples feet and then tells them that one of them would betray Him. He knew He was going to the cross to give His life a ransom for many. In the middle of that, He encourages His disciples.

John 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

The Lord faced a very difficult and deadly time in His life, but He also saw it as a time of blessing.

Hebrews 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

While the cross looked hard and burdensome, Jesus saw the other side of the coin, He saw the positive aspect of it. He saw you, yes you, you and your salvation was the joy that He saw.

The future and world events may look bleak and your heart may be troubled; keep your eyes upon the Lord and live in the joy He provides.

John 16:20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Your health is affected by how you look at things; if you see things through a biblical world view you see things through the lens of God’s perfect will, it should encourage your heart.

If you see things as the rest of the world sees them you will be discouraged.

Both outlooks on life affect the heart.

John 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Rejoice, it’s good for your heart.

The choice is still yours,

Pastor Cook