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

The Proverbs speak of the heart often and describe it as diligent, subtle, wise, froward, perverse, wicked, pure, proud, and merry.  

And God in our proverb for today adds to that description by introducing us to a stooping heart.  

We know what it means when the body stoops and therefore we are able to understand what a stooping heart is. 

To stoop is to bend the body downward and forward, almost a bowing of the body.  

It is not a position of the body which indicates success but a position which indicates defeat.   

Children use this position often when their requests are denied as they bend their head down and walk away discouraged and cast down.   

Stooping is also the position of the body when it carries an actual burden such as a heavy load on the back.   

But stooping does not require an actual burden, for a person, when in a stooping position, indicates a burden of the mind and of the heart.   

So a stooping heart is a burdened heart and therefore our proverbs writer talks about heaviness in the heart.   

And this heaviness is a continuing heaviness, a heaviness of burdens that do not get lighter.  

It implies a sense of depression, discouragement, sorrow or grief.   

It could be brought on by worry, fear and/or anxiety and this in time becomes an overpowering burden or weight which leads to discouragement and heaviness of heart.   

If left untended it will take over our thinking, our emotions, and take control of our daily lives.   

Instead of being filled with the Spirit of God we are filled with anxiety and worry and all these cares will choke out the working of God’s Spirit.  

The cumulative effect of dwelling on worry, fear and anxiety, about our children, our home, job, finances, health, or even the state of our nation will weigh us down for these things are heavier than our hearts can bear.   

But God provides this man of burdens with an elixir, a medicine, a solution that will change a stooping heart to a glad heart and that solution is a good word.  

So, Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.  

Now a good word of God’s word is in 1 Peter 5:7 where we are told to, cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  

From this we know that it is our responsibility to lay our cares at Jesus’ feet knowing that he cares for us. 

Now this is the ultimate solution for our cares but God knows that we are not always willing to do this and many times we have heaviness of the heart that is difficult to let go.  

Even when we know that a brother or a sister ought to let go by casting all their care upon Him that does not give us permission to do nothing for our brother or sister.

It is so easy to just think, “Well they have Jesus to go to so why don’t they go to Him?”  

But Galatians 6 has interesting instructions for us in this regard.   

In verse 5 the Apostle Paul tells the Galatians that every man shall bear his own burden, so based on this why not let the brother or sister just take their burden to the Lord?   

But don’t forget that Paul gave that instruction after saying in:  

Galatians 6:1-2, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.  

So Paul is telling us that the primary bearer of our burdens is ourselves but he is also telling us to help others as they carry their burdens.   

Now both we and others are to cast all our care upon Jesus Christ but we also have responsibility to help others lighten their burdens. 

Are we not being conformed to the image of Christ and if he is to be the recipient of our burdens then we too are to engage in helping our brother and sister when they have heaviness of heart for this is the law of Christ.  

Being in Christ means we are given relief by Christ from our burdens but it also means actively seeking out those who need help in lightening their load.   

Being part of the body of Christ means we are to be available to lift loads as Christ would lift loads.   

We are to be there as Christ would be there for we are kept here in His stead.   

We have a job to do for Him and part of that job is to bring a good word in order to turn a heavy heart into a glad heart. 

We are told in scripture that by Him, Jesus Christ, all things consist.   

We are told in scripture that Jesus Christ is the Word.   

By this we ought to learn how powerful word is.   

We are given the ability to speak word and we are also told by our Lord that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

We see then that words are powerful and we shall be held accountable for our words.   

Our job then as Christians is to give out good words.  

Absorb Proverbs 16:24, Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 

Soak in Proverbs 15:24 says, A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! 

And in Proverbs 25:11, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 

And our Lord Jesus Christ instructs this as recorded in Matthew 12:35, A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things:  

He is saying that before treasure is withdrawn from the heart it must be deposited in the heart.   

Good treasure in the heart is God’s word planted by His Spirit, that when brought forth from the heart becomes good word fitly spoken, and word spoken in due season. 

And that word fitly spoken, that word at the proper time will bring gladness that will replace heaviness and anxiety and the stooping of the heart. 

The word “glad” means to make merry, to rejoice, to brighten up. 

It is a gladness that brings joy, the kind of joy that releases the control of worry and anxiety from the heart and mind.   

It is a freeing kind of thing! 

It lightens the load of heaviness and takes the sting out of worry. 

God’s children can have a real ministry in the speaking of a good word.   

God has given each of us a purpose to carry out during our sojourn and with our mouth, dedicated to the Lord, we can bring gladness to a heart that is stooped with heaviness.   

Each day we can purpose to lift up another by the words we speak or we can speak words that add to the heaviness of another.   

Each of us have the word of God as the greatest treasure of the heart and when withdrawn can make a sad heart glad.   

And many times few words are required when simply a listening ear will bring gladness. 

God’s word is so pure as a balm, as an ointment for the heart.   

David knew this so intensely and would have perished had not the Word of God been his joy and delight.   

Read the Psalms and you will find David full of afflictions and griefs but in those times God’s word brought gladness to his heart. 

The lesson to us in this day for comforting souls who are cast down is to study to show yourself approved of God that you may bring this word to others.   

We are to make it a matter of prayer that words from our mouth are healing words, words that will lift the burden of others so that joy will come in the morning. 

We are given God’s word for our own lives but are also given it to share with those of a heavy heart.   

We are to tell them of God’s promise to direct the paths of those who trust in Him.   

To tell them of the words of Philippians 4:6,7, which tells that there is no reason to be anxious for by prayer with thanksgiving you can tell your concerns to God who promises to bring a peace which passes all understanding. 

Tell your concerns to God who promises to heal your heart and mind through His Son, Jesus Christ.     

God gives us healing words for Jesus Christ, the Word of God invites all those that are heavy leaden to come unto him and he will give them rest. 

Words that urge the broken hearted to Take his yoke upon them, and learn of him, for he is meek and lowly in heart, and they shall find rest unto their souls.  

Letting Him take their cares, anxiety, and worry, and trade it for his yoke which is easy, with only a light burden. 

We are to use words to point the troubled ones to Christ. 

And to give them words that sustain them as they at times may walk through the valley of the shadow of death.   

Words like Psalm 55:22, Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 

And Psalm 42:10, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. 

And Psalm 62:8, Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. 

There is an inexhaustible supply of good word to be given to the heartbroken.   

Jesus comforted the disciples and told them to take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, neither for the body, what ye shall put on.   

He asked them about adding to their stature knowing that God was the one who did that and if God is responsible for doing that can’t He provide the things that are least? 

It is so true that we worry and fret and are anxious because we simply do not know our Father to the fullest for we do not know Christ to the fullest.   

Does a child fret and worry about his next meal or what he shall wear or whether there is a roof over his head?   

No, he simply trusts that his father will provide.   

God gives us the example of Martha to show us the better way.   

And the better way was to sit at Jesus feet and learn of Him,  

Luke 10:40-42, But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. 

And that good part was to invest her time in knowing Jesus and knowing that He would meet all of her needs.   

Should our days be filled with worry about everything in the book or should our days be filled with trusting in God who indeed knows everything in the book? 

We sing so often the answer to this question in this hymn: 

Cast your care on Jesus today, Leave your worry and fear.
Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near.

Troubled soul, the Savior can feel, Every heartache and tear.
Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near.

So the good word to give to heavy hearted is always tied to God’s word for in God’s word is life. 

Isaiah whose life was full of trials asked this in: 

Isaiah 50:10, Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. 

This question is being asked of God’s children, godly men and women who fear God and obey Him. 

But these men, these women are having a difficult time for they are walking in darkness for they have not light.   

The good word from Isaiah to these of a stooped heart is for them to trust and to stay upon God.   

The godly are not immune to times of fear and darkness, trials, and worry.  

But the message from God is still the same and that is to rest in His everlasting arms.   

It is to lean upon him, it is to cast all your care upon him for he cares for you. 

God’s word is filled with good words that when believed by faith will lift the stooped heart, the heart that is weighted down by heaviness of the soul, to a position of uprightness.   

God’s word if believed and honored as God’s word will always replace fear with gladness.   

God makes no promises that this life will be without trouble but He does promise that He will be with me and never leave me.   

I am promised God’s love, I am promised an eternal life with God free from sorrow and distress with no more stooped hearts.   

And all of this is given to us who are responsible to give our good words to those with heavy hearts. 

Make this year a year of helps to all who are weary and heavy laden.   

God’s word is there for you and for me to be able to know what to say and when to say it.   

Pray that God will use you to bring good words that gladness will come.   

There are so many souls who need words of encouragement to depend upon God for their help.   

Broadcast this Psalm 46:1-3, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Think about this kind of trouble compared with any trouble you or anyone may face.   

It cannot measure up and if we are not to fear, though the earth be removed then why should I continue to be with heavy heart, and who or what should I fear?