Bible Times 96

  Envy — The Thorn in the Heart   There was once a small village surrounded by green fields, gentle hills, and orchards heavy with fruit. In the village lived two farmers, Eliab and Nathan. Both worked hard. Both rose before sunrise. Both planted their fields at the proper season, watered their crops, and prayed for rain. Yet, when harvest came, something happened that neither man had expected. Nathan’s field produced an extraordinary harvest. His wheat stood tall and golden. His storehouses were filled, and the villagers admired the abundance of his crop. “Look at Nathan’s field!” people said. “He has been greatly blessed this year.” Eliab heard their words. At first, he smiled. “I am happy for him,” he told himself. But as the days passed, something unpleasant began to grow inside him. It was not a visible weed. It did not appear in his field. It appeared in his heart. The Thorn Begins to Grow One evening, Eliab walked past Nathan’s farm. ...

  Wisdom for a Man’s Self There was once a man named Eliab who lived in a prosperous town surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, and fields of grain. He was known as a capable man. He worked hard, spoke confidently, and was determined to make something of his life. Whenever people praised him, Eliab smiled. Whenever someone questioned him, he became defensive. And whenever another man succeeded where he had failed, Eliab quietly felt that something had been taken away from him. He did not think of himself as proud. He simply believed that he knew what was best. One morning, Eliab went to the marketplace and saw an old carpenter sitting beneath a tree. The carpenter had spent many years making furniture, doors, yokes, and tools. His hands were rough, his clothes were simple, and his words were few. Beside him stood a beautifully finished wooden chest. Eliab examined it carefully. “You have made a fine chest,” he said. The carpenter nodded. “But the wood could ...