Proverbs 15:15

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:15, “All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” This is another verse about happiness in the heart. If you are happy inside, everything that you experience will be enjoyable. On the other hand, if you are miserable or afflicted on the inside, nothing that you experience will be enjoyable. Guess which one of these two types of people God wants us to become. He wants us to be happy. In the beatitudes of Christ in Matthew, they all start with the words, “Blessed are…” For example, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The word that is translated “blessed” also means “happy.” God wants us to be happy. Jesus took our sorrows upon Himself and took them to the cross. Enter into that victory through faith in Jesus and enjoy the happiness that is there waiting for you.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:16, “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.” Treasure can definitely bring trouble. People who win the lottery often have many more troubles. They must worry about their safety in ways they never thought of. They have friends and relatives who want a part of it, and then get angry. It takes wisdom to know how to handle money. Any life with the fear of the Lord is better than treasure with trouble.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:17, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” It is better to have the simple diet of a vegetarian than to have the best food you can imagine if there is hatred with that food. People need to be loved and want to be loved. If you do not have love in your home, you will not be happy. If you do have love, you will be happy no matter how little you have of anything else.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:18, “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” People naturally strive with one another. If you look for strife, it is easy to find. And so you want to do your part to reduce the strife around you. In order to do that, you must not be a “wrathful man.” One of the problems with human anger is that it creates turmoil.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:19, “The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.” This verse equates being slothful with being sinful. People are supposed to work. Even someone who is independently wealthy still works. They still accomplish things. Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work.” When God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden to live their lives in this world, God told them in Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground…” Another interesting point to notice about Genesis 3:19 is that it tells us when to stop working: when we die. This might answer the question as to when we should retire. If retirement means you stop working, then that might not be a good idea. If retirement means that you are simply changing from one work to another, then that is different. God wants us to work. We are here to accomplish something, and we accomplish something when we work.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:20, “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.” Think of what a parent does for a child to bring it up from a baby to an adult: love, time, effort, tears, prayers, help, work, planning, hoping, advising, teaching, loss of sleep: and doing all that and more year after year after year. Of course, a parent will be glad if the child becomes “a wise son.” What else could that parent ask for? To have a child make a parent proud will be the crowning achievement of a parent’s life. And so, for every prisoner in a prison there is a parent somewhere that cries himself or herself to sleep every night.

If you are not wise, then you are foolish. How does a child become foolish: by not listening to the parent. If only they would honor their parents and listen, then they would be wise children. No wonder that God put into the Ten Commandments, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:21, “Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.” People who do not have wisdom from God enjoy their foolishness and they enjoy sin. They run towards evil and error and falsehood. They embrace it. Of course, people who follow Jesus are the opposite. We desire to do the right thing and to stay on the straight and narrow way. We want to fulfill God’s Word, not hide from it. This principle shows why a Christian’s life shines so brightly in a dark world. There is a very great difference between a believer and a nonbeliever and everyone can see it.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established.” What this verse means is that you do not know everything that you need to know. Some people know more than you on any given subject, and you will benefit from hearing what they have to say on that subject. If you think you know it all already, then you are doomed to make an ill-informed decision.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:23, “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” This is another verse that talks about the words that we say. How important our words are. If we say the right words, it will result in joy for us. We not only need to say the right words, but we also need to say them at the right time. Knowing what to say and when to say it is a blessing from God.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:24, “The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” Since there is a heaven and a hell, a wise person will make sure they get on the road to heaven, and make sure they are not on the road to hell. The way to get to heaven is to fall at Jesus’ feet and call upon His name. A foolish person refuses to do that. They are really foolish if they do not come to grips with their own mortality and realize that eternity is a long time.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:25, “The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.” Pride will keep you from God, because the wrong kind of pride is basically selfishness and is an emphasis on self in a way that keeps people from turning to God. Pride will keep you from admitting that you are a sinner and need the Lord. Pride will make you think that you have all the answers that you need, and will keep you from turning to the Lord for help. Hell will be full of people who had too much pride. But of course, God’s heart does go out to those that are needy and those that are humble. Historically, widows were in a very bad spot when there were few or no opportunities for a woman to take care of herself. Christians should also care for those who are in genuine need.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:26, “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.” God sees our thoughts. We will be judged for our thoughts as well as our actions. As a matter of fact, actions come from thoughts. First you have thoughts, then you have a deed. Deeds turn into habits, and all of that determines your destiny. If you have the right thoughts, then you will also have the right words. Everything would be much better for everyone if only we had the right words.

Notice that Proverbs 15:26 talks about the wicked and the pure. You become one of the “pure” when you turn to the Lord Jesus and He forgives you of all of your sins. That is a wonderful thing to be clean and to be pure in that way. What a great Savior we have who gives purity. You become pure not based upon what you have done or not done, but you become pure simply because you turn to Jesus and He declares you to be pure.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:27, “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.” Greed is a sin. It is a type of lust. There is a normal course to life that will bring you your income. You work and you are paid for that work. If you want a better wage, then look for a better job or get educated in a skill that will lead you to a better job. But all of that is done honestly and decently. Greed ruins people and harms their own home life because greed will turn them into something they should have never become. Do not become a scrooge. Learn to “hate gifts.” In other words be true and honest. Do not ever let anyone buy your favor. One of the things that makes bad politicians so bad is that they are known for selling themselves and their influence.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:28, “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.” This verse is saying exactly what the New Testament says to Christians, “Be swift to hear, and be slow to speak.” We need to think carefully about what we say because our words can cause such damage. James describes the tongue as “a world of iniquity.” The best way to control the tongue is to simply keep it quiet.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:29, “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” Sin separates from God because God is holy. No sin can come into the presence of the great and holy God. That is why the wicked are far from God. They are sinners who have not repented of their sins, and have not turned to Jesus for forgiveness. The righteous are sinners who have repented and who have turned to Jesus. Prayer is one of the many benefits of those who have been made clean by the blood of Christ. Through prayer we have access to the Almighty Power of God. Prayer changes things. Prayer is a tremendous resource to have available in the battles and challenges of life. If you are separated from God by your sins, you cannot pray until you get things right by going to Jesus.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:30, “The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.” You will find what you are looking for, and then you will experience the consequences of what you found. Jesus is the Light. If you found light because you were looking for light, then you will find true happiness. Happiness is to know the Lord. One of the results of knowing Jesus and walking in fellowship with Him, is that you will gain a reputation as a moral and ethical person who can be trusted. You will be respected because of your relationship with Jesus. You will have a “good report.” That is very valuable in this world. Good words and positive words will have a good effect on those that hear such words. Negative words will tear down and cause harm.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:31, “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.” What is “the reproof of life?” It is the reproof that everyone who lives gets from the Spirit: the message that you are a sinner who needs to repent and find the Savior. There are some who reject that message and never turn to the Savior. They are foolish from a spiritual standpoint. Thankfully, there are others who have accepted the message and responded by falling at the feet of Jesus and saying in effect, “Yes, I am a sinner. Yes, I need a Savior. Lord Jesus, please forgive me and save me from my sins.” That is when you get saved. That is when you get born-again. That is when you are guaranteed an entrance into heaven. That is when you are indwelled by the Spirit and start a relationship with Jesus. That is when the Bible is opened up to you and you can feed upon it the rest of your life. No wonder that once you accept Jesus, you are now one of the “wise.”

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