Living each day with a revived soul, a wise mind, and a joyful heart is not only a great way to live life, but is very possible for each and every person.
Let’s take a look at these attributes:
A REVIVED SOUL
Want to stop a conversation in its tracks, ask someone if they feel revived and refreshed in their souls. Ask yourself. I would venture to say most people would answer with anything but. Too often, outward circumstance dictates the nature of our inner living. We react to the outside world. We live more of a thermometer-style life than a thermostat-style life. We would like to answer, “Yes, there may be a million things going on around me, the news in the world may be horrible, I have too many things on my plate, but, deep down inside, I feel revived, refreshed and whole.”
A WISE MIND
The difference between being wise and smart is in timing and action. You can know how to solve a problem on paper, but a wise person knows how to use the information to solve everyday issues. Having knowledge makes you smart, knowing how to apply it makes you wise. Wisdom brings clarity, innovation, and the right action. Wisdom is about asking the right questions.
A JOYFUL HEART
Happiness is discovering you have a sleeve of frozen thin mint cookies buried deep in the freezer. But happiness is fleeting, based on circumstance. Joy, on the other hand, is more of a condition of the heart, not based on outward circumstance, but inner work. Happiness is a water park and joy is more like a perpetual underground spring – it’s constant.
What gives these attributes to our lives?
I’ve been reading Psalm 19 this morning. Verse 7 and 8 gives us the answer:
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The Word of the Lord is what gives us life in these ways. Even reading this passage perks up my heart and mind. The Bible, filled with God’s Word, is alive and active in us. God’s instructions and commands, though it may seem difficult at times to swallow, are the very things that bring us life and life to the full.
God’s law is perfect and refreshes the soul.
God’s written rules can be trusted, making even the simple wise.
God’s words are right, and they give joy to the heart.
God’s commands are bright – giving light to the eyes.
LIGHT TO THE EYES
There are some external attributes to a refreshed soul, a wise mind, and a joyful heart. But none of them are quite as external as light in the eyes. A person who has been immersed in God’s Word has eyes that light up. Have you run into people who seem bright? You can tell, just by looking at them, that things are going well. On the contrary, too many people look down, look sad, look burdened and defeated. Eyes tell us much about a person. And a person who has been immersed in God’s word and the law has a brighter outlook.
GOD’S WORD IN OUR LIVES
I’m writing this because it inspired me this morning. I don’t claim to be the most disciplined person when it comes to Scripture reading. But, I do want God’s word to make a difference in how I live. As a result, I put Scripture reading on my to-do list. I include it in my morning routine. I have the Bible app with plans on my phone. I keep a Bible by my bed. And I like putting scriptures out on social media.
These two verses in Psalms 19 are life-giving. It’s the law of the Lord that revives our soul. It’s his rule that makes us wise. As we follow his commandments, we have joyful hearts. His word is radiant and gives so much life we live brighter-eyed, expectant, and fulfilled lives.
THE BIG QUESTION:
A few summers ago, our summer ministry team stopped by the home of a long-time friend for breakfast on the way through to a week-long event. After breakfast, the dad of the home pulled out his Bible and read scripture, and offered a devotion before we left. It was really good. But the first question he asked before he started into the Bible reading was, “What passage of scripture did you read this morning?”
We all stammered. We had gotten up early, met at church, packed the trailer, prayed for our trip, and were planning to be gone for five days, but all the craziness limited our time. Unfortunately, we all had to stammer as we didn’t have an answer.
My friend went on to smile and say, “Let’s read some now.” It was still only about 8:30 am at this point.
The question has remained with me. What passage of the Bible did you read this morning?
If we want to have revived souls, wise minds, joyful hearts, and light in our eyes… it comes from God’s Word, his law, his commandments. There’s no way around it.
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