Probing Proverbs
11:30–31 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins
souls. If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the
wicked and the sinner!
wicked and the sinner!
A little coffee plant was growing in the Edinburgh
Botanical Gardens. It was sent across the ocean to Nyassaland. In sixteen years
the one plant produced five million plants, and the coffee culture became the
chief source of prosperity.[1]
If we plant the right seed and nurture it, the fruit it bears
can be unbelievable!
As a follower of Jesus Christ, we know that we are to seek to
live righteously, just because we love Him. God states clearly that we are to
live holy because He is holy. Yet, it is important to take note that the
Scriptures give quite a few other practical reasons why that life style is
beneficial. I do not have space to share all – just look at a small section taken from
the book of Psalms.
* Psalm 5:12 For it
is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.
* Psalm 34:15 The
eyes of the Lord are toward the
righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
* Psalm 34:17 The
righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
* Psalm 34:19 Many
are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord
delivers him out of them all.
* Psalm 37:16
Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.
* Psalm 37:29 The
righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever.
* Psalm 37:39 But
the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
* Psalm 55:22 Cast
your burden upon the Lord and He
will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
* Psalm 64:10 The
righteous man will be glad in the Lord
and will take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will glory.
* Psalm 92:12 The
righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in
Lebanon.
This Proverb also gives some very positive input on why it is
worth living righteous. The word “fruit” also means “offspring.” That really helps us see the positive
outcome from a life that seeks to live righteously. This life style leads to a “tree
of life!”
What could be better than experiencing all that God intends our life to be?
Whenever God’s Word speaks of “life” not only does it reflect quantity,
(eternal) but it also includes quality! (Life in Full)
Part of that “wisdom” mentioned here, points out that a
righteous person understands what really makes life full, i.e. impacting other
human beings! The word “wins” also means, “Captures!” A righteous person understands that the
only thing that is really eternal are others and so the most important and fulfilling
thing we can do in our life is to help others in their walk.
What could be more important than help someone understand that their Creator loves them and desires a relationship with them?
What could be more important than help someone understand that their Creator loves them and desires a relationship with them?
Remember, we are not selling something, or trying to get others
to agree with us; we are simply
allowing them to see the impact a relationship with God has had on our life!
This is what Peter admonished:
1 Peter 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of
your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to
explain it.
Notice, your life is so different, that they are led to ask you
why it is so! This is not manipulation, or pushy.
Lastly, we are left with a very stark reality, if God rewards
the righteous, “how much more” (surely) the wicked will reap what they
sowed.
It must be noted here, that when Scripture speaks of us living
righteously, it is addressing our practical life style. None of us are
righteous on our own in God’s eyes. We are all sinners! However, when
we enter into a relationship with Christ we are declared “righteous” and
God expects us to seek to live that way. The great truth is that God still
knows we cannot do that on our own, which is why He sent the Holy Spirit to
live in us and enable us to seek to live a righteous life!
It is an interesting circle that God has created and if we just
allow the Spirit to lead us, we will see that this circle just continues. When we
enter into a relationship with Christ, God views us through the Blood of His
Son, so we are declared “righteous.” At that moment the Holy Spirit enters us
and gives us a thirst to live in a way that pleases God (righteous) – so
if we just continue to pursue that thirst, it will lead us to godly living,
which produces more practical righteousness. The more practical righteousness
we experience, the greater our disdain for sin. The greater our disdain for
sin, the greater for our thirst to live righteously! It is an unending circle,
unless we choose to rebel and follow the flesh again!
Remember, no matter the mistakes or sins you do, you are one
prayer away from restoration and the Holy Spirit will fill you again with a
thirst for righteousness, which will begin that circle again!
Meditation: There are two "circles of life." One is where we allow the flesh to feast on sin, which never is satisfied, so that just leads to more sin! The other is the one we just described, where living righteously leads to a greater desire to live righteously. Which circle are you in? Why? If in sin, do you desire to get out? Why? What can you do to get out? Do you know this verse: 1 John 1:9? Will you act on it right now?
[1]
Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700
Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1501). Garland, TX: Bible
Communications, Inc.
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