Pro 17:22 | KingComments | STEP | “A joyful heart” is one that rejoices in God and the things of the Lord. A joyful heart someone gets when in it dwells the peace of God. Such a heart “is good medicine” that promotes healing of the body and spirit. Someone who has “a broken spirit” experiences the opposite. There is no joy; it has disappeared because of all the sorrows and miseries under which he is burdened. This process “dries up the bones”. As mentioned earlier, bones give the body the strength to move forward. When bones are dried up, it means that health has disappeared and powerlessness has entered (cf. ). This verse is not a condemnation of someone who is depressed. Its meaning is not that he should just be happy so that the depression will go away. Again, it presents what is generally true without passing judgment on the condition a person is in. Someone who is depressed does know that a joyful heart is good medicine. The problem is that he does not have a joyful heart. He will not get a joyful heart by constantly telling him to have one. Such a person needs a very different approach. What is needed most of all is understanding and patience. Let those who are dealing with this pray to the Lord for wisdom for that.

‏ Proverbs 17:22

A Joyful Heart or a Broken Spirit

“A joyful heart” is one that rejoices in God and the things of the Lord. A joyful heart someone gets when in it dwells the peace of God. Such a heart “is good medicine” that promotes healing of the body and spirit. Someone who has “a broken spirit” experiences the opposite. There is no joy; it has disappeared because of all the sorrows and miseries under which he is burdened. This process “dries up the bones”. As mentioned earlier, bones give the body the strength to move forward. When bones are dried up, it means that health has disappeared and powerlessness has entered (cf. Eze 37:1-14).

This verse is not a condemnation of someone who is depressed. Its meaning is not that he should just be happy so that the depression will go away. Again, it presents what is generally true without passing judgment on the condition a person is in. Someone who is depressed does know that a joyful heart is good medicine. The problem is that he does not have a joyful heart. He will not get a joyful heart by constantly telling him to have one. Such a person needs a very different approach. What is needed most of all is understanding and patience. Let those who are dealing with this pray to the Lord for wisdom for that.