Proverbs 15:13-17 English Standard Version 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. 14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. You have quite a bit of control about your attitude. Even if you can't affect what happens to you, you can choose how much you let it affect you and those around you. Real joy comes from a place of contentment with what the Father, Son and Spirit have given you and the promises that you know are true regardless of the circumstances you may currently find yourself in. For that reason, you can have an attitude of joy and gratitude that brightens everyone else's day instead of being the person that people feel like a dark cloud or chill came across the room when they come in. There is no reason to "trauma dump" on other people and crush their spirits or to make everyone else around you feel as miserable as you do. There's a time and a place to talk to a counselor but do your best to seek a professional for that. Don't try to get everyone around you caught up in your situation and ask them to take sides. That doesn't' make for a positive environment for anyone.
The one who has wisdom and understanding from the LORD seeks more of it. To know His Word better is to understand Him and His desires and purposes better. Just think of a courtship where the more you know about a person, the more it makes you love them and the more you want to know about them until one day you get married and, hopefully, you become so intimately acquainted with one another that you both fully know and are fully known by each other. The Bible speaks of such a day that is coming when we will have intimate knowledge of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the way that He already intimately knows us. Nothing will be concealed from us. Until then, we long to know as much about Him as He will allows, and as much as we can handle, as our minds have limitations now that won't be there when we receive our resurrection bodies. Compare this to the fool who just wants to be "fat, dumb, and happy." They are content with being foolish and even may create new foolishness to make themselves feel okay or good about being an Atheist or a practical Atheist (they actually believe there is no God, or they live in such a way where their actions proclaim they don't believe in a God who will judge their actions and the actions of all people one day). All the days of the evil person feel like they are battered, afflicted, beaten down, and worn out. They are fighting a battle of willpower and endurance with God that they don't realize they can never win. There's a reason it's called "God-mode" when you cheat in a video game to have infinite health, infinite stamina, can't take damage and all your attacks are 100% effective. God opposes the proud (for their own good) but gives grace to the humble. The one who is constantly in rebellion against God is going to feel like they are always running away, but never getting away. However, the person that is in right relationship with God will be cheerful and at peace so that he can have fellowship with God and feast on the good things God has for His children. That includes His Word and His very Presence. Jesus compared Himself to both bread and water to make the point that He is necessary for spiritual life, but He is also something we need each and every day. You don't just eat one meal and never eat again. However, there is an endless supply when it comes to Jesus and the Father. Think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet and the cost of admission has already been paid for. You are there to enjoy the followship and to eat until you are satisfied (but don't gorge yourself and try to eat too much at once, that can be bad too). Just like physical food is to give us sustenance and energy to do things in the physical world, our spiritual food enables and empowers us to do the will of the Father. Jesus said that He had food the crowds didn't know about because His food and drink that kept Him going were to do the will of His Father who was in heaven. The crowds didn't understand this, because they were looking for the "good" of being fed physically like He did when He fed the 5,000, but they weren't looking for the "best," which was the feast of Himself that He had to offer them. When He said, "My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink," they imagined cannibalism and many of them turned away because their minds and stomachs soured to the idea of feasting on Jesus. His disciples got it though and said, "Where else will we go? You have the words of life!" It is better to be a poor saint than to be a rich fool. God gives His children enough for each and every day that He has prepared for them, even though sometimes we feel like we would want more or have chosen something else for ourselves when God serves us the spiritual equivalent of vegetables when we were hoping for dessert. Even those with little in terms of money and possessions have much when they have God who is of infinite value. Those who are rich fools will try to depend on their wealth to provide them with things that only God can provide for them. The poor know that everything they have comes from the hand of the LORD, but the rich fool imagines that he is the source of his own provision, and it is wearisome for him to try to play God. He cannot control supply or demand, no matter how much he tries. The more he clings to his wealth, the more it seems like there is a hole in his money bag (something that God says will happen in the minor prophets). Even the stuff the rich fool has will be left behind in death to someone else who didn't work for it and won't appreciate it, and, ultimately, all of it will be destroyed in the coming judgment when everything of this physical world will be destroyed so that God will make all things new once again. It is better to eat a dinner with bitter herbs (something that was a main part of the Passover Sedar plate) with family and friends who love you than to be at a feast where the fattened calf was killed with people who are enemies with you. Have you ever been a party and felt like you couldn't appreciate it because someone you didn't get along with was there and you had to spend the whole time trying to avoid each other instead of enjoying things? That's like the person here. God is throwing a huge party like in the parable of the Lost Son for those who have returned home to him, but some of us are like the older brother who are still lost and refuse to come into the party because we can't forgive the younger brother for all the bad things we image he did, the bad things that he did towards God before he was saved, or maybe if we're being honest, we don't want to "forgive" God for forgiving that person and inviting them back into the family like nothing ever happened when we kind of liked feeling special and better than them. Our refusing to join in the celebration is proof that our hearts aren't right. Heaven will be a great celebration of who God is and what He has done. Will you be there? Will you want to be there? There will be no parties in the Lake of Fire. That is propaganda and lies from the devil. Jesus said that life there will be like living in a dessert place with fervent heat and no water to even keep your tongue from sticking to the roof of your mouth. If you've ever been that dehydrated, that's what it will be like spiritually to be so cut off from God in that place. There will be no happiness or hope there--only people that are bitter and angry and hateful. Through their pain and suffering they will continue to curse God and reject Him. You have your choice right now what kind of eternal life you want. Do you want one of eternal blessing or eternal wrath? Don't just choose for selfish reasons. You must also count the cost about everything else that comes with the free choice that you make. Are you willing to be a slave to Christ and for Him to not just be your Savior, but Lord in the here and now? If so, He is ready to hear your prayer of confession and repentance. Today may be the day of salvation for you. See the Evangelism Techniques section to see some gospel presentations if you want to hear more and feel free to Asak a Question about how you can be saved. I'd love to help you take the first step to being the "wise man" in the book of Proverbs who loves the LORD and relies totally on Him. Comments are closed.
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Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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