Proverbs 18:14 says “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?”Solomon reminds us about the importance of having a healthy spirit.  It is our spirit that sustains us in sickness or infirmity as other translations render it. 

Of course we know our spirit comes alive to the Spirit of God when we are born again – when we surrender our lives to Jesus.  It is the very essence of a human being.  We are a spirit with a soul and living in a body.

Our bodies can get sick from time to time and they decay with the passing years. It is our spirit that lives eternally and we receive a new body in heaven, mortality is exchanged for immortality for those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour (see 1 Cor 15:38-54).

I have known several people who once they have ‘given up their will to live’ death has followed soon thereafter.  Similarly I have met and ministered to those who despite severe diagnoses, and who were desperately ill have been sustained by their spirit which wasn’t ready to give up and die and outlived the medical ‘death sentence’.

It is so important to guard our spirits and keep them clean and healthy before the Lord.  David said in Psa 51 v10 as he repented for his sin with Bathsheba, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  The prophet Nathan had brought to his attention the sin he had committed not only with Bathsheba but also her husband Uriah.  HE was restored and the Bible declares him to be a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22).  That’s restoration!

Unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment and sin just to mention a few, wound our spirit which can then open the door to sickness and disease.  Returning to our verse for today “The spirit of a man will sustain (support, nourish) him in sickness…”

So guard the health of your spirit!