Day 208: Reaping what we sow - Proverbs 11 vs 15 - 22
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good - the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24-26 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
27-29 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favour, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
31 If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner. Proverbs 11:15-22 English Standard Version
It's quite popular in the secular world to speak of 'karma' – a belief that the good or bad things which people do will come back to them. But experience shows that doesn't always happen. The Bible teaches something that may look similar, but is more realistic and reliable. Can you see that in vs 23 and vs 31?
Righteousness ultimately leads to something good, whereas wickedness will end in sorrow. The writer says that this is true of life even in this world, let alone in eternity.
What are the contrasts in vs 24-26 between people who share their blessings with others and those who live only for selfish interests?
We see that the lives of those who readily give are personally enriched, and the people whose lives they touch are grateful for them. That's not the case with self-centred people. And when we say their lives are 'enriched', it's not a financial thing. In one of his parables Jesus said “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” There are riches that are worth far more than money!
So what we have here is the principle of people reaping the outcome of the actions they have sown throughout their life. The apostle Paul put it well when he wrote: “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked - for whatever a person sows he will also reap! The one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let us not get tired of doing good - for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” Galatians 6:7-10
Verses 27-29 give more examples of reaping what we sow – but what is the encouraging thought of vs 30 regarding the outcome of sowing kindness and generosity?
A righteous person is like a tree bearing life giving fruit. (Genesis speaks of such a tree in the garden of Eden.) How often it must have been that it was the kindness and care for people that drew the souls of others to the gospel. We have a glimpse of this in Acts 2:44-47 where we read: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Kindness and generosity are attractive things. May God make our lives full of them, and may the actions we sow lead even to the winning over of souls.