In The Word
Read: Psalms 37:21-40
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.
22 For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be eliminated.
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good,
So that you will dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice
And does not abandon His godly ones;
They are protected forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
And dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.
31 The Law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.
32 The wicked spies upon the righteous
And seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked, violent person
Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the blameless person, and look at the upright;
For the person of peace will have a future.
38 But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be eliminated.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Again, we are told to depart from evil and to do good. We are told how the wicked will be destroyed. Even though they may spread out for a season, it is just for a season. I find that too many Christians look at the temporary prosperity of the world and seek to pattern their lives after them. Instead, we should look to the Word of God, which is able to not only save our souls but also to direct us to true success in life and death.
Someone who has God’s Word in their heart will be protected by God. God will keep them from falling headlong on their face. As they mature in walking out that truth, their maturity keeps them from falling at all.
Maturity is learning to walk blameless in the sight of God. We are told in the book of Peter to be holy as God is holy in all of our behavior. Many Christians have no desire to go deeper in their walk and that’s why they end up stumbling so often. Someone who stays shallow in their walk will find it hard to be victorious and prosperous in their life. We must seek to go deeper by whole-heartedly seeking to study, meditate, and obey all that God has given us to do. This is where true success is found.
Don’t stop in the shallow end of Christianity but wade out until you are swimming in it. It is there that you will find the power, favor, and grace to live life successfully.