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.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
The wicked may work against the righteous, even seeking to kill those who are upright but ultimately it will be their own demise. The Lord is on the side of those who are upright. It is far better to have little and be righteous than to have the abundance of the wicked. The wicked will ultimately face God’s judgement. (Yet even for the wicked Christ died (Rom 5:8) and has offered His life for theirs, to bear God’s judgement and wrath on their behalf, if they will believe in Him for eternal life.)
Note the major contrast between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked are self-seeking while the righteous are generous. Even though the wicked are often described as wealthy, the righteous, though they may be poor, are seen to be generous and yet never lack—because God leads the person who walks in His way.
When life feels rocky and unsure, the righteous—those who delight in God’s way—have the assurance that He will guide them and walk them through by the hand (Ps 37:23-24). Wow, what a promise to hold on to.