Psalm 37:13-25 – The plight of the wicked vs the reward of the godly

In the first eleven verses of Psalm 37;1-11, David exhorts the godly not to fret or be envious of the prosperity of the wicked. He knew that in the long run what the wicked enjoy would be momentary. The outcome of the righteous would far outweigh what the wicked presently enjoy. Instead of being envious, the godly should delight themselves in the Lord and make God their desire. They will surely find security, stability, success and serenity.  

In verses 12-20, David then points to the ultimate plight of the wicked, to show the godly why they should not be jealous of the seeming prosperity of the wicked. He said that the wicked may deride the righteous. They do so without realizing that the Lord takes note of everything. And the Lord who sees everything will laugh at them instead, and will summon them to a reckoning before Him. And they will have to experience the very pain they inflicted on the godly. In other words, they will be recompensed in kind. They will be destroyed whereas the righteous will be sustained. David then said that it’s better to remain righteous even though one is poor than to be so abundantly rich but wretchedly wicked. The wicked will ultimately be totally destroyed. They will perish forever, while the righteous will be amply provided for in life and never be in want. They will even be given an inheritance that’s both glorious and eternal.  

The godly operate differently from the wicked. The godly are generous, they give without any expectation of return. But the wicked are hoarders. They grab and grab and never reciprocate kindness. What’s encouraging is that the step of a godly are established by the Lord. He watches over them to come to their assistance. And even if they should slip, stumble and fall, the Lord will uphold them and prevent them from fatal results. Furthermore they and their posterity will never be forsaken and never experience hunger, the Lord will be their provider. They will have plenty to bless others. Their seed will be preserved, but in contrast the seed of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will possess the earth and dwell in it forever. The wisdom of the Lord will be upon the righteous. God will keep them because His statutes and principles will be in their hearts and they will speak truth with their mouth. Hence they will not wander away from the path set by God. Although the wicked will plot and scheme to destroy the righteous, the Lord will guarantee their safety and will not abandon and leave them in the hands of the wicked. They will be delivered from the wicked snares and the wicked will be utterly destroyed.  

Keep in mind verses 23-24 as we seek to walk uprightly before the Lord. These two verses remind us that “The steps of a man are established by the Lord and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” The Lord takes a special interest in us when we are bent to follow His ways. He wants to keep us in step with Him and will ensure our security. Let’s keep in step with Him!