655_Do not grow weary of doing good (Proverbs 23:17-18)
Proverbs 23:17 Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
There is a story often told about two farmers who lived side by side. One of them worked hard on his land year after year. He woke early, tended his fields carefully, and amended his soil through the long seasons before harvest. The other farmer cut corners, neglected parts of his land, and yet some of his harvests appeared to be just as abundant, or even more so, than his neighbor’s.
One evening, the hardworking farmer stood by the fence watching his neighbor’s field, which seemed unusually lush that season. A wave of discouragement swept over him. “What is the use,” he muttered, “of all this effort, all this discipline, if the careless seem to prosper just as much?”
An older farmer who overheard the remark simply smiled and said, “Don’t judge the harvest too early. Some crops grow fast but with shallow roots. The real test is which field still stands when the storms come.”
That simple wisdom is echoed throughout Scripture. The temptation to compare our lives with others—and to envy those who seem to prosper without regard for God—is as old as humanity itself. This proverb addresses this directly.
Envy often begins quietly with comparison, and twists our perspective. As we look at someone else’s success, comfort, and opportunities, we begin to measure our lives against theirs. When those who disregard God appear to flourish while those who seek to live righteously face hardship, it can feel deeply unfair.
The psalmist Asaph described this struggle in Psalm 73. He was not an outsider to faith; he was a worship leader in Israel, someone deeply committed to God. Yet he was shaken as he saw the wicked living in prosperity and peace.
Asaph writes, “This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth” (Psalm 73:12). They speak arrogantly, mocking God, saying in effect, “Does the Most High know anything?”
Meanwhile, Asaph’s own life felt very different. Though he carefully walked the path of blamelessness, keeping a good conscience before God, his life seemed filled with trouble.
To make matters more difficult, Asaph feared that openly expressing these doubts might shake the faith of others. So the struggle remained inside him, unresolved, though his heart spoke to God, “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure… All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments” (Psalm 73:13–14). This honesty is one of the reasons Psalm 73 speaks so powerfully to us today.
But then something happened that completely changed his perspective. He entered the sanctuary of God (Psalm 73:17). In the presence of God, Asaph began to see things differently. The sanctuary transformed his understanding, not his circumstances. From God’s vantage point, Asaph saw the fragility of the prosperity the wicked enjoyed.
What looked secure from a distance was actually doomed. Asaph realized that those who live apart from God stand on unstable ground. “Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin” (Psalm 73:18). Their apparent success was impressive in the moment but ultimately unsustainable.
Suddenly the comparison that had troubled him lost its power. Life looked very different when viewed through the lens of eternity.
Proverbs 23 encourages us to remember this. Instead of allowing envy to grow in our hearts, we are to “continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.” The fear of the Lord is heartfelt reverence for God which is seen in a willingness to believe and obey him under all circumstances.
Yet continuing in that reverence can be difficult when we see injustice around us. Faithfulness does not always produce immediate visible rewards. Sometimes those who do wrong seem to advance quickly, while those who seek to honor God walk through trials.
In such moments it is easy to grow weary. Galatians 6:9 shifts our perspective with the assurance: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Notice the phrase “in due season.” God’s timing is rarely the same as ours. We often want immediate results and quick answers. But spiritual growth and eternal reward follow a different rhythm—more like the slow and patient growth of a tree.
A farmer does not expect a harvest in one day. He waits patiently, knowing that life is working in the seed and then in the plant, to eventually produce growth and fruit. This proverb reassures us: “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs )23:18.
This hope is not vague optimism but trustful assurance grounded in the character of God Himself. The God who sees every act of faithfulness, every quiet sacrifice, every moment of obedience rewards them all.
The bitterness in Asaph’s heart disappeared when he saw reality. The wicked were now to be pitied rather than envied. All that mattered was the goodness of staying close to God. “Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God” (Psalm 73:27–28).
That statement reveals his realization that the blessing of God is nothing short of God himself. Once he had struggled silently with envy and confusion. Now his heart overflowed with gratitude. He testifies joyfully, “I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds” (Psalm 73:28).
And besides the eternal dimension of God’s promises, the blessing of God’s presence can be ours even now. We are called and honored to be known by God, to know him, to be guided by him and walk with him. This is far beyond the utmost treasure earth can offer.
And so Asaph asks: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). This kind of satisfaction cannot be produced by circumstances. It flows from a heart resting in the incomparable worth of God Himself.
Living on this side of eternity, we sometimes see situations the way Asaph did. If we focus only on the visible, discouragement can quickly take root. That is why Scripture repeatedly calls us to shift our focus, to fix our eyes on the One who is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
With our eyes on Him, envy loses its grip. The fear of the Lord gives us an eternal perspective that steadies our hearts. We can choose faithfulness even when it seems unnoticed. We can do what is right, serve others, live with integrity, and honor God in our daily decisions, even when the results are not immediately visible.
We can remind ourselves that God sees what others overlook. And we can rest in God’s presence as Asaph did. When we bring our struggles, our questions, and even our envy honestly before God, He restores our souls.
And one day, when the final harvest comes, it will become clear that every act of obedience, every moment of perseverance, and every quiet step of faith was worth it.
Until then, let us hold firmly to the promise of Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” God bless.
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