Letting a Cheerful Heart Refresh Your Spirit- iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - July 14, 2026

“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

Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

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Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone. 

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