Proverbs 15:15-16 

¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. ¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

Secret

         Do you want to hear an open secret? One open secret in life is to do things with cheerful heart. We don’t sense pressure when we do our work cheerfully, even when things get tough. Spring is coming sooner. What do you do in spring? Prepare for spring cleaning. Do you enjoy spring cleaning? There are people who sense satisfaction in cleanliness, and they cheerfully clean their surroundings.

         Many children complain and grumble when they’re told to wash dishes, clean their room or arrange their toys, why? Complaint and grumble are natural instinct of human. And cheerfulness and joy is fruit of the Holy Spirit. Anything we do with cheerful heart is our testimony of transformation that the Lord did in our life. Personally, how do you interpret and practically apply what it declares in

2 Corinthians 9:7?  ⁷Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

         Giving is not limited to giving money. We give help to others. We give our best effort to accomplish something. We give time and listen to the word of God with cheerful heart. And when we sense gladness listening to the word of God, we want to be punctual during worship service so that we don’t miss anything.

         When we are reluctant, we can be pressured to appear as good Christians. When we are under compulsion or pressured of what others may think about our Christian life we cannot worship God with cheerful heart. That is just pretension. The elements of darkness will feast to see pretension from believers.

         Seriously, let us reflect on what it declares in Hebrews 1:23-25, ²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

         Gathering as a church is profession of our faith. We hope that the Day of the return of Christ be sooner than later. Are you envious of people who feast on material things? By faith we look forward to feasting with Christ in heaven. Amen!

1.  Feast

¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

         Truly, burdens of life are not very comfortable experience. Nobody enjoys being oppressed. Oppression comes in different ways. Racists may verbally be oppressive to others. Malicious people gossip fake news to humiliate others. Heartless employers ridiculously demand from employees. Is it oppressive to you when you are short of finances? Oppression causes distress, worry and anxiety.

         In contrast, people want feasting and not bothered by anything. Feasting is enjoying that moment in cheerfulness, comfort and tranquility.  Now if you order so much food to eat at a restaurant, but you were worried of how you may pay your bill, that is not a cheerful feasting that anybody desires. Actually, worry of how you may pay your monthly bill is torment and oppressive situation.

         But if you have a cheerful heart, can you have continual feast? When you are not anxious of any predicament, can you sense cheerfulness? Feasting is not limited to eating, drinking or dancing. The idea of continual feasting is more about gratification in life. So, little or much food does not entirely define feasting. You can enjoy your feasting when you sense gratified heart. Don’t you think so?

         If you love bird watching, your eyes feast watching birds. If you love music, you feast on listening to music. Feasting is free from worry, distress and anxiety.

         Let’s reflect on what happened in 2 Samuel 6:17-22, ¹⁷They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.

¹⁸After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁹Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

²⁰When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” ²¹David said to Michal, “It was before the

Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord.

²²I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

         David had a cheerful heart after he brought the ark of the Lord in the city of Jerusalem. He did not mind what others think. He just danced with glee. His wife Michal, the daughter of King Saul felt embarrassed that David was undignified.

         Michal implied that David should observe proper decorum as king of Israel. David ignored her. He did not mind when his wife despised him or slave girls will honor him, why? David feasted with cheerful heart because he feared the Lord.

2.  Fear

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

         Practically, great wealth is useful. King Solomon did not argue that wealth is bad. But with little fear of the Lord great wealth is certainly better. Why? Think about countries with so much wealth; why do they invade other nations? Why do wealthy people still want to invest their money? Are they scared that they will run out of money? Much money should be enough for their satisfaction, right?

         Together, let us reflect on what it teaches in Ecclesiastes 11:1-4, ¹Ship

your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. ²Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. ³If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie. ⁴Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

If you venture in business, don’t put all your money in one investment. If in case, one investment has scammers, you still have money for other investments. As Christian, we should not only invest in practical things. We should also invest in spiritual things. And that is how we should interpret and practically apply when it says, “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”

         Reflect on Luke 23:39-43 ³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

         Those criminals who were hanged next to Jesus have invested their time doing crimen to make money. Eventually, they’re apprehended. Their investment in crimen was over. The other criminal used his last moment to invest for his eternal destiny when he put his faith in Jesus. Christ assured him to be with him in paradise. Personally, how much time have you invested for eternal treasure?

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