This is another of those “better…than” verses in Proverbs. To the ancients, a “house full of feasting” probably sounded like a pretty good place to be – and maybe to many of us, as well. Yet, it is frequently not as much fun as one might think.
Places (“house”) and things (“full of feasting”) where there will be lots of people (with whom there may well be a good bit of “strife”) are not automatically the best times. We all have experience with how “strife” (drama!) can be a real downer in a “house full of feasting.” Most of us also know what it is to be in a big crowd and yet feel so very much alone.
So parties might not be as great an event as we think they will be. Instead, our verse suggests something even “better” – learning to appreciate the little things in life (a “dry crust”) along with some “peace and quiet” is pretty special, too.
Such a situation may well lead us to an attitude of gratitude for every piece of dry crust and every moment of peace and quiet we get. Gratitude vs. drama, its our call every single day, and this verse tells us how we can get there.