Psalm 37:20-24 (NIV), “20 But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 22 Those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. 23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
Wow! We’re halfway through Psalm 37! Thanks for reading it with me. I hope you’re enjoying the journey. It’s been exciting sharing it with you. Like I mentioned in the beginning, it’s my favorite Psalm. I’ve read it many times. But this is my first time, taking time to write about what God is showing me as I read it.
Throughout Psalm 37, the fate of the wicked is constantly being compared to the fate of the righteous. Bottom line is that you’re blessed or you’re cursed. You’ll live or you’ll die. We know that sin when full grown leads to death (James 1:15). But Jesus Christ is Life (John 14:6).
The wicked borrow and do not repay, in other words, they steal. However, the righteous give generously. As the saying goes, “We are blessed to be a blessing.” Our wells will never run dry because our Source is Jesus Christ. As long as we stay connected to Him, the True Vine, we will produce good fruit (John 15:1-4).
Our God knows we are human. That’s why He said we will at times stumble, but He also said He will not let us fall. An occasional stumble keeps us humble. It keeps us aware of our need for Jesus. As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Unfortunately we are naturally prone to go in the direction of the world, but by living supernaturally through Christ, we can stay on the life giving path that He has personally prepared for us.
Corinthians 12:7(NIV), “…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
I, like many people, have often wondered what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. God chose not to take it from him so that He would not be tempted to become conceited and full of pride. Can you think of struggles that you have had that kept you humble and caused you to grow in Christ? It’s through our weaknesses that we learn our true strength is found in Him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Never forget, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:19)!! Anything He instructs us to do, He will equip us to do. Is there something that God is instructing you to do, but fear keeps holding you back? Trust God to make your steps firm as He promised. Then boldly move forward in Him, one day at a time!
Feel free to comment if you have any additional thoughts to add or any insight to share on what God is teaching you.
Drawing Closer to Christ 