A Continual Feast
“A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”
Proverbs 15:13-15
A few weeks ago, my husband and I watched a documentary on Netflix about plant based diets and the associated health benefits. I know, you shouldn’t believe everything you see on Netflix, but my almost-a-doctor husband was so convinced by the research presented that after the documentary concluded, he decided he was going to try it. Cold-Turkey, Preston became a Vegan. We went to the grocery store, bought special food and did the prep-work to help him make this change. I made 10 bean soup, fresh whole foods, packed his lunch to take to the hospital.
Four days later…
Preston comes home and announces, “I just can’t do this!” I asked what he meant and he replied, “I just can’t get full! I ate 5 bowls of bean soup and I’m still not satisfied!” My athletic husband who burns more than 2500 calories a day found it extremely difficult to be truly full on his new Vegan diet. He and I now have mad respect for anyone who eats this type of diet!
The importance of meals is a predominant theme throughout scripture in both the Old and New Testament. From the celebratory feasts and The Passover meal of the Old Testament, to the meals Jesus shared with so many people and the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the Gospels; meals have significance to God. Earlier this week, we talked about how our cheerfulness should come from our hearts, the deep-seated joy that we find in Jesus, instead of our circumstances.
As we continue in our passage in Proverbs 15, we see a meal used as a metaphor. In continuing the discussion on the heart, the author contrasts the understanding heart that seeks knowledge with the foolish heart that “feeds on” untruth. He continues to say that “all the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”
The language “continual feast” puts an eternal lens on this passage. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says:
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” (Jn. 6: 27).
He continues in verse 35:
“I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
Like Preston, trying to eat more and more and never being satisfied, so will we be if we are working for “the food that perishes”. Jesus tells us that he will give us the food that endures to eternal life: the gift of Himself. When we know Him, we will be satisfied!
When we chase joy and cheer in things outside of Jesus, we are working for the food that perishes. When we abide in the presence of God, we will be choosing cheer that comes up from the wellspring of eternal life and we will be satisfied.
