Proverbs 25:20 - Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day...

Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.

Proverbs 25:20

Commentary

Sometimes quick answers are the worse thing to offer when people are going through a hard time. In well meaning attempts to lift someone's spirits, we move too fast. It would seem ridiculous to visit someone who has just experienced major surgery and try to pull them out of the hospital bed to get them to exercise. In the same way, sometimes people need the space to grieve for a while. To try to bypass a heavy heart can add more pain to the process. Sometimes the best thing that we can do is to weep when they weep, or just sit with them in silence. The comfort comes not in our cheerful songs, but our presence.

Today's commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, Grace NYC

Psalm 119:28 - My soul is weary with sorrow

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word.

Psalm 119:28

Commentary

How do we handle depression? Much of our advertising and media bombard us with images of happy people. This can become the unspoken "ideal life". So when we encounter emotions that may contradict this imagery we find ourselves unprepared. But the Scripture sees sorrow as a part of the human condition. Many of the Psalms deal with feelings of overwhelming depression. And as the Bible addresses these feelings we find that it gives us the guide to navigate through sorrow - the promises of Scripture itself. God's word assures us in our sorrow and gives us lighthouses of hope to help us navigate through the dark moments of our soul.

Today's commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, Grace NYC