12 A scoffer does not love one who reproves him,
He will not go to the wise.
13 A joyful heart makes a [i]cheerful face,
But [j]when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
14 The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are bad,
But a [k]cheerful heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little with the [l]fear of the Lord
Than great treasure and turmoil with it.
17 Better is a [m]dish of [n]vegetables where love is
Than a fattened ox served with hatred.
18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
But the slow to anger calms a dispute.
19 The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is joy to him who lacks [o]sense,
But a man of understanding walks straight.
22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they [p]succeed.
23 A man has joy in an [q]apt answer,
And how delightful is a timely word!
This passage has multiple reminders of the joy that belongs to those who know, and follow, God. At first glance, maybe it’s just putting on a cheerful face (v. 13), but it goes deeper than that. Just like the earlier parts of the chapter, it should be a reflection of the state of our heart. We see this in v. 15, where the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Not that such a person has a fattened ox, or great treasure, because those are fleeting (vv. 16-17). The ox will be gone and done soon enough, and what then? No, the joyful heart finds solace elsewhere, so that even with just a few veggies, and barely enough to scrape by, it is enough.
On the flip side, the lazy, the foolish, the hot-tempered, there is no solace for them. Even the sluggard trying to avoid a hard days work has a “hedge of thorns” in his way, so that he cannot be comfortable, try as he may. Whether it is the folks trying to prod him out of his bad habits, or that they’ve given up and all he has is the memories of the poking and prodding, he cannot escape his conscience.
Certainly life is full of hardships, for some more than others, but even in our darkest, God has not abandoned us. I was reminded of prophets of Baal, who were challenged by Elijah, to see if their God was sleeping, or out on vacation, or perhaps busy in the bathroom. No, our God is (amazingly) always attentive to our plight, we can depend on Him and that should bring a smile to our face, and comfort to our hearts.