21 No harm befalls the righteous,
But the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims folly.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the [j]slack hand will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
But a good word makes it glad.
26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 A [k]lazy man does not [l]roast his prey,
But the precious possession of a man is diligence.
28 In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.
When I choose how many verses to do each day, sometimes it feels a bit random. Especially in Proverbs, the chapters are longer too long for a single devotion, plus there is so much wisdom packed into every chapter. Then, there are very few natural breaks in the chapters. So that makes it all the more interesting that this passage, the “leftovers” almost, starts and ends with mirror verses.
And not just any verses, but ones that make pretty bold claims. “No harm befalls the righteous…” Really? None at all? What about when Jesus promised us, “in this world you will have trouble…”? Yet contrast that with David’s question (in Ps. 56:4, 56:11, and 118:6), “What can man do to me?” It’s a rhetorical question, to which the answer is “nothing!”
So wait a second, Jesus tells us we will have trouble, but man can’t harm us? Perhaps we should expand our context a bit, and also expand our vision as well. David’s statements were made because he trusted in God, “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” Jesus didn’t stop there, but added, “take heart, for I have overcome the world!”
The rest of this passage reminds us of all the ways the wicked harm themselves, then contrasted with the righteous who are faithful, who make others glad, who bring healing, who are diligent. All of those things are important, but the underlying truth goes back to our “bookends”. When one looks at the early church, boy did they have trouble. Many were martyred, but they were not afraid. Why?
They had taken hold of the truth of this passage, and what Jesus had told them. Men could damage, or even destroy, their physical bodies. But once they had put their trust in God, no one could destroy their hope, for it is an imperishable truth. Though we may die, we live on, because we are not mere flesh and blood, like all the animals of creation.
Rather, we were made for eternity, and eternity to be spent with our Creator. No one can take that from you, and no one can harm your immortal soul when it is in His hands. So when you are discouraged, heed the words of Jesus and “take heart”. There is more at stake than whether we are comfortable on this earth.
The stakes are eternal, and all the more reason we are to heed God’s wisdom and instruction. Strive to be the kind of person described in this passage, and bring hope, healing, and joy to those around you.