“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22, NIV
This summer, you still have plenty of responsibilities like projects at work, chores at home, and errands, just like you do all year long. But during the summer, you also have important opportunities to have fun in ways that aren’t available during other seasons. You can enjoy swimming, farmers’ markets, summer evening concerts, and much more. But first, you need to give yourself permission to include time for fun in your schedule. You might feel that taking time for activities you enjoy is a luxury you can’t afford. However, Proverbs 17:22 points out that a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. From that perspective, fun activities that cheer you up and refresh your spirit are a form of medicine that you truly need.
Having a cheerful heart is “good medicine” because when you allow yourself to experience joy, it heals you from the inside out. On the other hand, when you focus only on your burdens, your spirit begins to feel tired and fragile, just like dry bones. This can happen when you forget that God created you to do more than just work; God also designed you to enjoy the world he made. One of the most powerful ways to take the medicine that leads to a cheerful heart is to look for the wonder of God’s work around you every day. When you stop to really look at the world around you, you can start to see that God is constantly pouring wonderful blessings into your life that are meant to lift your perspective beyond your temporary circumstances to God’s eternal love for you.
Think about the last time you felt inspired with awe by something wonderful God did in your life. Maybe it was watching a summer sunset, walking through a field of wildflowers, or enjoying a delicious lunch on a weekend picnic with your family. The sense of wonder you experienced helped bring joy into your life by helping you notice God’s presence with you. When life gets busy, you might be tempted to postpone fun activities that lead you to wonder and joy. You might let yourself have fun only after you finish a project at work or only after you clean your house. But if you wait for a stress-free time to be cheerful, you’ll always be waiting, because you’re always going to have stressful situations to deal with in this fallen world. In the process, your spirit will feel crushed. God wants you to see that experiencing joy is just as important as your work.
God wants you to enjoy a childlike sense of wonder, just like a child who sees a summer day as a chance to explore and have fun. When you enjoy a summer activity while looking for ways it can show you God’s wonderful work in your life, your heart will naturally become cheerful. So, go ahead and garden, swim, listen to music on a road trip, or stargaze on a clear summer night. Enjoy connecting with your Creator when you discover a new blessing, and allow yourself to experience all the blessings God gives you. Make experiencing wonder and joy a priority in your summer schedule. Don’t neglect fun. If you do, your spirit will feel crushed, and you’ll miss a lot of what God is doing in your life. It’s important to take your “medicine” of cheer regularly. You have permission to enjoy your life simply because God is good. So, enjoy each day God gives you – this summer and beyond!
Let’s Pray:
Dear God,
I’ve often let my spirit become dry by focusing only on my tasks and my troubles. I confess that I sometimes feel guilty for taking time to play or for seeking out activities that bring me joy, as if my productivity is the only thing that matters to you. Please forgive me for forgetting that you created joy and everything wonderful I experienced this summer. Help me to take the “medicine” of a cheerful heart every single day. Teach me how to slow down and notice the blessings you’ve given me, like the beauty of a sunset or the sound of laughter. I want to honor you by enjoying the life you’ve given me. Please refresh my tired spirit and fill me with a cheerfulness that can only come from your Holy Spirit. Help me schedule time for fun and protect it as a holy priority. Thank you, God.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Morsa Images
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Tuesday, 14 July 2026.
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