Proverbs 15:13 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Proverbs 15:13

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There is no beauty on the face to be compared with that which comes naturally from a joyful heart. God has made a correspondence between the heart and the face which means that the face is a wonderful reflection of the myriad of thoughts and emotions that pass through the heart. The face of someone with an honest and joyful heart is therefore a glorious thing to look upon. It contains the distinctive individual expressions of the person as well as the unmistakable marks of joy within. Those who learn to read the thoughts of a man in his face are able to pick up the subtle signals of what is invisible within. Those who wish to disguise their feelings must struggle against nature, and they invariably let slip small indications of what is really inside them. The resulting combination is the tell-tale marker of concealment or deception. An honest man may therefore forget about trying to make himself appear in any particular way, and simply concentrate on being honest and let God’s natural mechanisms do the rest.Does this verse sound like the power of positive thinking, a secular remedy for life’s ills? But positive thinking usually involves lifting up self, while this proverb points out a different ground for the believer’s happiness: looking to God and his sufficiency.

Application

Just as joy in the heart must express itself, so too must sorrow. The cure of this is not to focus on the face but on the heart which is the source. The believer also has real sorrows, but underneath them is a deep source of joy which never goes away. The reason for this is that we already have the victory in Christ: God has promised that none of our troubles can take away the inheritance kept for us in heaven. Indeed all trials in this life add to us and teach us lessons which have lasting value to us. The unbeliever’s sorrows are real and cannot be shifted except by adopting unreality, but the believer’s sorrows are temporary, all associated with a world that is passing away.

In spiritual things we have a duty to be happy. How do we do it? We reflect on the love of God to his people, on Calvary, on the security of believers, on the character of God, and the evidence of God’s favour in our lives. We think of Christ and his virtues. As we think of God’s goodness, we submit gladly to God and the challenges that everyday life brings. What if a deep-seated grief comes into our lives? We seek to contain it. We do not feed on it, but ration our thinking, and pray to God for help.

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Proverbs 15:13 Commentary and Bible Study