Righteous Seeds

Proverbs 11:18b says, "the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward."  It sounds a bit like works salvation in contrast to the New Testament teaching of "...it is by grace you have been saved through faith...not by works..." (Eph 2:8,9).

However, the context of contrast with verse 18a, which says, "A wicked person earns deceptive wages...," tells us that the reward, like crops growing out of seed is certain but not immediate unlike the wages of the wicked, which appear to be immediate and desired but are deceptive and will be paid in their awful fullness later. 

The idea is that the righteous person, in contrast to the wicked, does good because he knows that good will come from his actions - good that will not necessarily be realized by himself immediately but worth doing for the present and will reap a blessing later on.

The point being that while the wicked appear to prosper, their wages are deceptive, not being fully realized presently but they will be very painfully aware of in the future. However, the righteous, who may appear to be getting the short end of the stick, will very happily be aware of their blessing later on. 

The application being that we ought to good always regardless of the immediate consequence or reward because it is the righteous and godly thing to do, which honors God and blesses others now, and will produce "...a harvest [of good] if we do not give up" (Gal 6:9).  Jus' Sayn.