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July-17-0470-The Lord establishes the righteous
July 17
470_The Lord establishes the righteous
Psalm 37:12-26 The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
A man visited a remote village in the Himalayas to volunteer at a small school. One afternoon, as he walked through the mountain paths, he noticed a tree standing alone on the slope, weathered and twisted, yet firmly rooted. The wind howled through the valley, and smaller plants around it were bent and broken. But the tree stood unmoved. As he stood gazing at it in wonder, an old man joined him to explain, “That tree is strong because its roots go deep, deeper than the eye can see. It has grown down through the years. Now it is the mountain that holds it, not just the soil.”
The Lord establishes the righteous in just such ways—not through a life of ease, but through faith that has rooted itself deeply in seasons of testing. Psalm 37 reminds us that in times when everything shakes, God upholds His own. David, now an old man looking back on his life, declares timeless counsel: don’t fret because of the fleeting prosperity of the wicked; rather, trust in the Lord, who secures and sustains the righteous.
David begins by acknowledging the harsh reality that often discourages believers. It is frustrating when injustice prevails, whether against us or others. The wicked not only prosper, but boldly plot against the righteous. Ecclesiastes 8:11 explains this phenomenon: “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” When justice seems silent, wickedness grows arrogant.
But the silence of God is not indifference. It is mercy that holds justice back for a time. But justice will prevail. The wicked see only their earthly plots – but they forget the presence of the great and mighty God above. Therefore the Lord laughs at the wicked who is so foolish as to think that he can escape the consequences of his wickedness. The Lord sees the end of the wicked from the beginning – judgment, ruin, and the collapse of all they trusted in. David says in verse 15, “Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.” Proverbs 26:27 echoes: “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.”
For this very reason, David says: “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.” The wicked may seem to have it all—wealth, influence, and comfort—but it is doomed. In contrast, godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). Solomon, the wisest and richest king, recognized this: “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.” (Proverbs 15:16). For the righteous have the Lord.
Contentment is not merely an emotion; it is evidence of faith. The discontented heart says, “I need more than God has given me.” But the content heart rests in the knowledge of God’s wise and loving provision, in all circumstances. Where the strength of the wicked is broken down by God’s justice, the righteous are held up by the strong arms of God (verse 17).
Many people feel anxious today because of economic uncertainty, global conflict, and rising injustice. The world feeds on this fear, selling solutions that provide little security. But David declares in verses 18 and 19, “The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.”
In Genesis 26, we read of famine overtaking the land. Many fled to Egypt, but not Isaac, for God told him to stay in the land. From a human perspective, it made no sense. But Isaac obeyed, and that very year he sowed and reaped a hundredfold harvest, by the blessing of God. God doesn’t just preserve His people in times of scarcity; He provides abundance. The righteous do not depend on favorable conditions but on the faithful hand of God.
The wicked and the righteous differ on how they treat money. The wicked borrows and does not repay, while the righteous gives generously. Why? Because the righteous sees beyond the transaction. He does not depend on the depth of his wallet, but on the hand of God, who provides for the needy. In verse 26, David says, “He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” Generosity, rooted in faith, multiplies blessing—not only in the giver’s life but in the lives of future generations.
Verses 23–24 remind us that “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” Walking with God does not mean you’ll never stumble. It does mean that if you do, the Lord pulls you up again. Micah 7:8 puts it beautifully: “When I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” The Lord is committed to finishing the journey with us. And He doesn’t just observe our steps; He directs and strengthens them.
David speaks from experience as he says, in verse 25, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” Despite betrayal, hardship, exile, and great sin, he saw, throughout his life, the unfailing faithfulness of God. God’s faithfulness extends not only across time but across generations.
David’s conclusion is rock solid: Trust God, do good, be content, and remain generous. For God sees your heart and your deeds. God upholds you as you walk by faith. God blesses you as you bless others in his name. The inheritance of the righteous is not only future—it begins now, in a life established by the Lord and sustained by His presence.
Hebrews 13:5 echoes this call to contentment: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” The promise of His unfailing presence is worth more than anything the world can offer. Our greatest inheritance is not land, or gold, or ease, but God Himself: His presence, His power, His peace, His guidance, and His unshakable promises.
Let us grow our roots always deeper into his love and kindness. Let his faithfulness move us to faith. Let us choose righteousness and the fear of the Lord, even when evil seems to prosper. Let us live in generosity and contentment, knowing that God watches our hearts and our hands with pleasure and favor. He establishes our steps, and he will make us stand.
Like that tree on the mountainside, our strength lies not in our immediate circumstances, but in the rock-like favor and kindness of our God, our unshakable ground. Let us be rooted and grounded in his love. God bless.
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