A good word makes the heart glad.

A good word makes the heart glad.

 Back to the Bible daily by disciple John

Proverbs 9:25 Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad. (Heaviness of the heart=Anxiety.)

I have in the past said that the Bible has an answer for everything in these modern times, and when I came across this text, I was reminded of this truth again. Anxiety and depression is common in our society and I thought it was something that has only been talked about openly in last thirty years. But here from nearly 3,000 years ago Solomon is telling us that it is because of anxiety that we are depressed.

Also I  have in the past suffered with depression when I was employed, and loaded down with so much work that even though I was working 60 and 70 hours a week. I was still not clearing the backlog because more work was coming all the time, and this increased my anxiety. Eventually I had time off work with depression, and I used to go for long walks and prayed a lot. I remember the Holy Spirit reminding me of words from the Bible that lifted me up and out of the depression.

Eventually the heavy work load and long hours caused me to have a heart condition and end up in hospital. Employment ceased and work for God started, a work from which there is no retirement. Work that means we should be anxious for nothing because God who cares for the sparrow and clothes the lily, also cares for us.