Psalms 37
Psalms 37:1-40 (NLT)
1 A psalm of David. Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.
10 Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11 The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.
15 But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly.
18 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.
20 But the wicked will die. The LORD’s enemies are like flowers in a field—they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those the LORD blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.
23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.
29 The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
30 The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.
32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
34 Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.
39 The LORD rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.
One of the enemy’s greatest schemes is to make it appear that it doesn’t matter if you do what is right. The wicked are doing quite well without considering God or trusting Him in the least. If the present score was the one that mattered, he may be able to claim the prize for the most wealthy followers legitimately. However, there is a voice of experience stating over and over in this passage that how things are today is only relevant in determining how they will be in the end. It’s not how much stuff and power are claimed today that matters, but what we do with what we have. There is continual sowing towards a future that will either have God’s blessing or be in direct opposition to Him. Faithfulness to serve and obey the direction of the Master has a reward that will far outlast the richest among us. The example should not be the “successful”, but the most faithful to love and serve. Walking in His light has an inevitable destiny of blessing and kingdom-fulfilled purpose no matter how it compares to the walk of the worldly.
As we are navigating the kids being out on their own, and looking for jobs, and going to need to support themselves, I was so encouraged by verse 25. “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”
Psalms 37:25 MEV
I am the righteous in Christ, and this is a promise that I can stand on for my children, and even for myself. ❤️❤️