Proverbs 11:29-31
The one who troubles his family will inherit nothing,
and the fool will be a servant to the wise person.
The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life,
and the one who wins souls is wise.
If the righteous are recompensed on earth,
how much more the wicked sinner!
The reward for the righteous is kind of fitting. Of course, there are rewards that are priceless. Gaining wisdom and living rightly are gifts in and of themselves of which there is no price that can be put on them. But there are other rewards that come as well. One certainly seems kind of just. All this time we have been contrasting the righteous and the fool. It seems that there are plenty of times in life when the fool gets ahead and the righteous person has to just wait for justice. But here it seems the wise person will get to see justice – on this earth.
First we see that the fool will be a servant to the wise person. Talk about justice. The fool that has caused you so much pain and grief will become your servant! Maybe not literally, but maybe. It may not be the same person, but there are a lot of fools out there to choose from. 🙂
Second we see that the fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life. The by-product of our lives is life-giving fruit. When we live the right way, we are producing fruit that will help others to live wise lives as well. And that person, the wise person whose fruit is producing life, the wise person who lives their life in a way to invest in others, is winning the souls of others and they are wise.
Third we see that the righteous are actually “recompensed” on earth. The righteous who live wisely will see the fruits of their labor while they are living on this earth. And if that is true, how much more true is it that the wicked will also receive their due for the way that they have lived.
What kind of reward are you going to reap?
