Proverbs 15:16 (NKJV) — 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble.

The relationship between possessions and the right attitude toward God. A simple lesson, but one so rarely learned, is that the quality of life has nothing to do with the quantity of possessions. Those who serve God, though they have little, are in a much better situation than those who reject God and have immense material wealth. Those who do not serve God will discover that material wealth is no guarantee of peace. Indeed, they will experience as much trouble as those who are poor and reject God. They will not have more genuine peace or happiness than their neighbors. But those who serve God will have peace of heart and mind, though they may have little in the way of material wealth. (See Psalm 37:16.)

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Proverbs 15:15 (NKJV) — 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

Life as a banquet. This verse appears to be a companion to Proverbs 15:13. There, a merry heart is commended as the source of a cheerful countenance, while a sorrowful heart is said to break the spirit. Here, a merry heart is seen as causing one’s life to be like a continual feast. This verse does not mean that a merry heart will prevent all unpleasant events from occurring but that a merry heart will cause even these events to have a positive and nourishing effect in the long run. A person with a merry heart enjoys life, looking on the bright side, seeing the good rather than the bad. This outlook is good for a person physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. (See Proverbs 17:22.)

By contrast, those without a merry heart see all of life as evil. They see no point in affliction, no purpose in pain, no good in the world. The difference in the quality of life is not without, but within. The choice to have a merry heart puts a different perspective on all of life.

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Proverbs 15:14 (NKJV) — 14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

Feeding on knowledge or foolishness. It is a sign of understanding to seek after knowledge. Fools are content, however, to mouth empty foolishness, to carry on frothy, meaningless, unproductive conversations.

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Eight years ago today, on September 28, 2021, Susan and I were married at The Sanctuary UPC in Hazelwood, Missouri. We are deeply grateful to our Lord for His blessings and the peaceful and happy years we have enjoyed.

We said our wedding vows before three important spiritual leaders in our lives: Susan’s pastor, Garry Tracy; my pastor, Timothy Dugas; and the general superintendent for the United Pentecostal Church International, David K. Bernard. Scott Graham, now the general secretary of the United Pentecostal Church International, served as the master of ceremonies for our reception, and Terry Gunn, one of my best friends, provided excellent musical leadership.

We believe our steps have been ordered by the Lord from the beginning until today.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his step” (Proverbs 16:9).

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Proverbs 15:11 (NKJV) — 11 Hell and Destruction are before the Lord; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.

The omnipresence and omniscience of God. There is nothing of which God is unaware. He is fully aware of the spirit world and the status of those who have died, and He is certainly aware of all that is in the hearts of people. There is no place where God is not; this attribute is His omnipresence. There is nothing God does not know; this attribute is His omniscience. (See Psalm 139:1-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24.)

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