Proverbs 13:25

Here is wisdom for a fulfilled, happy life. Will you submit to the Preacher, King of Israel, and his lesson about God’s providence and your contentment? Attitude is more important than quantity or quality, and God’s merciful favor makes a difference among men.

A righteous man is a godly man; a satisfied soul is a contented man. Godliness with contentment is great gain (I Tim 6:6). Believe it! True success is a choice you can make from reading this proverb. Choose now to rise above this dysfunctional, unhappy world.

God provides for righteous men, and He punishes wicked men. What the world pursues with all their might, God supplies to the righteous by His might (Matt 6:33). The assumed lesson here is God’s providential care for godly men (Pr 10:24,29; 11:6,8,19,21,31; etc.).

A righteous man eats sufficient for his needs, of whatever is before him, and finds it a feast. The wicked gorge on excess, wishing the fare was different, and cannot be satisfied. The one is contented and fulfilled; the other is discontented and frustrated.

One curse of man’s sinful existence is discontentment and worry. Solomon noted that the world’s rich are often kept from enjoying their abundance (Eccl 5:12-17; 6:1-2). But God is able to reverse all that in the heart and mind of the righteous (Pr 10:22; Eccl 5:18-20).

God blesses the righteous in their souls, where the wicked are always troubled (Is 57:20-21). Prosperity alone cannot bring contentment, for silver will not satisfy the man loving silver (Eccl 5:10). Contentment is a state of mind known only by the righteous (Pr 16:8; Phil 4:11), and adding it to godliness is great gain for every man (I Tim 6:6-8). Believe it!

Consider the righteous, who eats sufficient for his needs. He eats and drinks with moderation and for strength (Eccl 10:17). He is not tempted to drunkenness, gluttony, and their consequences (Pr 23:21). He even eats and drinks for God’s glory (I Cor 10:31).

He eats whatever is before him, for he has chosen to be content with whatever God provides (Phil 4:12). He chooses to be content with such things he has, for the Lord is his everlasting portion (Ps 73:25-26; Heb 13:5-6). A full heart is better than a full belly.

He finds a modest amount of anything a feast, for he has righteousness, peace, and love as the staples at his table (Pr 15:16-17; Ps 37:16). Because his heart is merry in the Lord, he has a continual feast no matter what is on his table (Pr 15:15; Eccl 5:18-20).

Consider the wicked, who often gorges on abundance (Luke 16:19). He chooses excess over moderation and pays the consequences (Pr 21:17; 23:29-35). But he cannot rest, even in prosperity, for he has the evil disease of worrying about it (Eccl 5:12-17; 6:1-2).

He always wishes the fare or setting was different, for his heart is covetous and greedy of what others have, and this situation vexes his soul (Eccl 6:9). Ahab, though king of Israel, could not enjoy anything in his palace without Naboth’s vineyard (I Kgs 21:1-4).

The wicked find trouble at the finest table, for there is often strife of some sort (Pr 15:17; 17:1). No matter where he looks, no matter what he does, all is vanity and vexation of spirit (Eccl 2:17; 4:4; 6:9). He is like the troubled sea; he cannot rest (Is 57:20-21).

A terrible thing God can do is fill your belly with this world’s best but send leanness into your soul, as He did to Israel with quail (Ps 106:15). Make sure that He knows you are content with your food but covetous for more of Him (Matt 5:6; Luke 10:38-42).

God guarantees the righteous will be fed (Ps 34:10; 37:3,25), and no matter how meager their provision, they have hearts filled with true and lasting joy. The wicked lose every hope at death and will crave a drop of water throughout eternity (Pr 11:7; Luke 16:24). Repent of your sins today, believe on Jesus Christ, and learn contentment in Him.