This is an incredibly powerful and helpful passage for God’s people, but it absolutely must be interpreted wisely. Two questions must be answered correctly: What produces a merry heart? What produces a broken spirit? I Peter 1 compares trials that would seek to destroy joy as fire. If trapped in fire, the lack of oxygen makes breathing nearly impossible and smoke fill the eyes, obscuring the path of escape. It is these circumstances, the lack of air and the inability to see beyond the trial, that lead to a broken spirit. This resulting loss of hope is debilitating. It dries the bones, destroying strength, energy, and vision. Hopelessness always results from vision that is limited to the immediate and the seen. Conversely, a merry heart is not a delusional heart. It is also seared by the fire, struggles to breathe, and labors to see clearly. The difference is that it refuses to only look at the circumstance. It clings to the belief that God is in control of the fire, that it is not raging out of control, and that a path of escape will bring lasting good. A merry heart is founded in God, in His goodness, faithfulness, and purpose. A merry heart is only found in God. Other substitutes, whether wicked pleasure, substance abuse, or any other form of mind medicine, are really no substitute at all.