These passages say, “All of the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continuous feast. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
People who believe in God the Father and Jesus Christ live according to the Word of God, the Bible. God grants these believers his Holy Spirit to be with them. They are blessed with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. One of those fruits is joy. They have joy within them even in challenging times. Whereas those who do not believe in God or Jesus Christ do not have such joy. They may experience momentary pleasure from sin. However, their lives are not rich and full. Rather, they are continuously afflicted with the worries of this world and the consequences of their sin.
In the same vein, those who are wealthy but lack God in their lives do not enjoy their wealth. They are dedicated to protecting this wealth and acquiring more.
On the other hand, a believer who does not have many possessions experiences greater joy in their lives. They are not ruled by their possessions. Rather they appreciate what God has what God has given them, whether it be little or much. Their possessions do not rule them. And they do not worry about losing what they have. They have faith that God will provide what they need and they focus on living rightly before God. More importantly, they focus on staying the path that will lead them to their real home, Heaven.
