Proverbs 12:12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
Proverbs 12:13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble.
The early chapters of Proverbs express God's wisdom by way of contrast's and comparisons.
These verses are a contrast between the wicked and the righteous. You will notice the word "but" is used 2 times to speak of contrast between the two.
There are two major differences in these verses. The wicked covet or lust for, delight in, the catch, or stronghold of evil men. In other words, they themselves being wicked, ( ungodly, criminal, hostile to God ) want what other evil men have, so they can be stronger. They are marked by wanting more of that which is evil and wicked.
But, and in contrast to the wicked, the root of the righteous yields fruit....Here's the 1st truth. A righteous person is not on their own, they are connected to God, and thus, will have God's fruit coming forth in their lives. They yield fruit.....
Finally, and here's where the 2nd truth is found. The righteous will come through trouble. The wicked will be ensnared by the transgression of his own lips, ( he will wind up being trapped by his own words ) But, notice this wonderful promise to the believer.
The righteous will come through trouble. For the child of God, though they will have trouble, and no doubt trouble because they are the children of God, and suffer living in this world of evil, they have this promise that they will come through the trouble. They may be in trouble at the moment, but they will not always be there, they will get through it.
God tells us in His Word, that nothing can separate us from His love. And that He who has begun a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Trials and tribulations are designed by God to make us stronger in our faith, and to help us yield and partake of the peaceable fruit of righteousness, and to then be able to comfort others with the comfort we have received.
So, in summary........The righteous yield fruit......the fruit of the Spirit, the love of God.
And, the righteous are going to make it through the trouble they find. They will endure, and they will endure because of who they are in Christ. They are His people.
Lord, You have brought us to Yourself through faith in Jesus Christ, and declared us to be righteous in Your site. And, You have given us the Bible to explain not only who we are, but what life is about, and how to live our lives while we wait to go to heaven. Thank You for the fruit that is yielded in our lives, and thank You for the comfort of verses 13, that Your people do come through trouble. We love you, in Jesus name.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Application/ promises
1. Be patient...fruit will come .
2. Be believing.....trust the Lord.
3. Don't worry, God will see you through the trouble.
4. Be thankful for His promises.
5. Act upon the Word of God He brings to you.
6. Think about the Lord not your troubles.
7. Pray for your enemies, that's what Jesus did.
8. Fruit and victory, 2 words that belong to the christian.
