There are many good nuggets in this chapter. Some of these have been said before in different ways. God knows that we may hear a truth at one time, and it goes right over our heads so we may have to hear it several times in different ways and at different times before the meaning dawns on our minds and hearts.
Solomon wrote, “A worthy wife is a husband’s joy and crown; the other kind corrodes his strength and tears down everything he does.” (Verse 4). It is also true that a good husband makes his wife proud, but a cruel husband makes her life miserable. Marriage is something where both parties have hidden expectations. We have a tendency to think our partner wants the same things we do, but we find out differently once married. The answer is we must learn to control our desires and love each other in spite of our faults just as God forgives us when we sin.
In verse 25, Solomon deals with emotional issues again. “Anxious hearts are heavy, but a word of encouragement does wonders!” As human beings, we all go through days of depression; this is normal and I think it gives us time to reflect on our lives, actions, and words.
Sometimes however, people go through extended periods of bad feelings about ourselves. Maybe weeks, months or years. In those cases, we should seek professional help, preferably with a Christian counselor. Sometimes people go through this like King Saul did.
Then again, Solomon tells us if we know of someone who is going through problems like this we may be able to help with a word of encouragement. We might recall a story from the Bible or a verse of Scripture that will help. We should always be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading in these situations.
Finally, Solomon says, “The path of the godly leads to life. So why fear death?” He is talking about eternal life. For the believer, we don’t look forward to the experience; we look forward to the result.