Psalm 37:29-40
New Living Translation (NLT)
29 The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.
30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.
32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
34 Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.
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What endures?
The Psalmist here mentions that he has seen the wicked flourishing. We've all seen this--people who prosper despite having no integrity or principles. We wonder if their deeds will ever catch up to them. They find fame and success and fortune through deceitful means, and we shake our heads.
Such things will perish in time. When fame and fortune become idols to people, such things will eventually vanish, and they will be left with nothing. However, when we put God first, we will endure. Fortune and success may find us, but we will recognize them for what they are, and if we continue to cling to God, we will endure while all else passes away.
So let us recognize that the wiser choice is to always put God first, trusting in his wonderful future and his power, and giving thanks for material blessings but never putting our complete trust in them or seeking them before all else.
May God's glory outshine everything else today
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