Over the last few weeks, we\u2019ve spent a lot of time looking at the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. In this wisdom literature, the Bible repeatedly tells us that what is happening in our \u201cinner life\u201d has more bearing on our happiness and fulfillment than what is happening to our external lives.
\xa0We\u2019ve seen that expressed in Proverbs:\xa0
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14 NIV
\xa0Notice that the Bible\u2019s term for emotional unhealth is: \u201ca crushed spirit.\u201d So if you have a crushed spirit, you have a broken heart OR a wounded soul, OR a toxic \u201cinner-life\u201d for one reason or another.\xa0
\xa0As Proverbs 15 points out:
13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13 NIV
\xa0Over the last several weeks, we\u2019ve been looking at all the emotions and feelings that can cause a crushed spirit: stress, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, burnout, grief, and many others. But in this message which concludes our series, Pastor Bryan points to our hope. We will point to God\u2019s promise for a crushed spirit, to the Bible\u2019s path toward healing.