Proverbs 15

“All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast” (v15). The proverbs teach that lasting peace comes from the condition of our hearts and how we manage our relationships, not our wealth or outward circumstances. For example, Scripture points us to the “soft answer” and gentle words (v1-3), rather than indulging in the verbal harshness that destroys others. “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it” (v17). “Hot-tempered” people leave a mess behind them, but those who are self-controlled de-escalate conflict (v18).

Choosing to conform our lives to God’s ways, in the end, produces more happiness than “treasure and trouble with it” (v16).