Day 426: When little is much more – Psalm 37 vs 12 - 26

12-15 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

16-19 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure for ever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will perish. 20 Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21-22 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 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; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord  upholds him with his hand. 25-26 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Psalm 37:12-26 New International Version

In the first 11 verses of this Psalm the writer had urged those who love righteousness to not fret and fear when they saw wicked people flourishing in the land and seemingly getting away with exploiting others. In this section he doubles down on the different outcomes that await those who love God and those who love evil. Verses 12-15 describe how those who love sin seek to obliterate people who stand for God's truth. This is happening very much even in the West in our generation. There is a huge attempt to get rid of God and muzzle all righteous people. But, says the writer, their day is coming! What does he say to encourage believers in vs 16-19?

Being poorer in this world is not shameful in God's sight. In fact, what little we may have of this world's good, when blessed by God, is far more than all the wealth of the wicked. Those who daily seek to walk in God's ways and ask His forgiveness for sins are constantly under His care. Jesus said: “I tell you, my friends, don't be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.  But I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:4-7)

This care of God is further seen in vs 23. Righteous people are not perfect. We can still stumble in our walk with God. Even in our frustrations with wicked people we may say some things we should not have said. We may go through times of doubt and fear. Our faith might sometimes be flickering. But the God who takes note of even the sparrows is well able to keep the righteous from falling headlong. But do vs 25-26 present a problem?

The writer described how the rule of thumb for wicked people is all about getting things, whereas righteous people have learned from God to be a giving people. In his case he says that in all his years he had never seen the righteous reduced to begging. Is that always true? I think there are two sides to the answer. There can be times when persecution or natural disasters can lead to God fearing people being reduced to needing help from others. But I'd also say that the first response of a righteous person in desperate need will be to turn to God in prayer. And they are willing to do the most humble jobs to provide for their loved ones. So begging is not something they turn to.

For those who have families, see from this Psalm how God's love extends to our children as well. Christians may not be able to provide expensive gifts and the best schools and universities for their children, but if they have walked humbly and faithfully before the Lord their children will have had something more precious than rich homes without God. When Christ is loved in the home even a little is much more.