Psalms 37:18-40

Day by day the Lord watches the good deeds of the godly, and he prepares for them his forever-reward. Even in a time of disaster he will watch over them, and they will always have more than enough no matter what happens. All the enemies of God will perish. For the wicked have only a momentary value, a fading glory. Then one day they vanish! Here today, gone tomorrow. They break their promises, borrowing money but never paying it back. The good man returns what he owes with some extra besides. YAHWEH’s blessed ones receive the land, but the cursed ones will be cut off with nothing to show for themselves. When YAHWEH delights in how you live your life, he establishes your every step. If they stumble badly they will still survive, for the Lord lifts them up with his hands. I was once inexperienced, but now I’m old. Not once have I found a lover of God forsaken by him, nor have any of their children gone hungry. Instead, I’ve found the godly ones to be the generous ones who give freely to others. Their children are blessed and become a blessing. If you truly want to dwell forever in God’s presence, forsake evil and do what is right in his eyes. The Lord loves it when he sees us walking in his justice. He will never desert his devoted lovers; they will be kept forever in his faithful care, but the descendants of the wicked will be banished. The faithful lovers of God will inherit the earth and enjoy every promise of God’s care, dwelling in peace forever. God-lovers make the best counselors. Their words possess wisdom and are right and trustworthy. The ways of God are in their hearts and they won’t swerve from the paths of steadfast righteousness. Evil ones spy on the godly ones, stalking them to find something they could use to accuse them. They’re out for the kill! But God will foil all their plots. The godly will not stand condemned when brought to trial. So don’t be impatient for YAHWEH to act; keep moving forward steadily in his ways, and he will exalt you to possess the land. You’ll watch with your own eyes and see the wicked lose everything. I’ve already seen this happen. Once I saw a wicked and violent man overpower all who were around him, a domineering tyrant with his prideful and oppressive ways. Then he died and was forgotten. Now no one cares that he is gone forever. But you can tell who are the blameless and spiritually mature. What a different story with them! The godly ones will have a peaceful, prosperous future with a happy ending. Every evil sinner will be destroyed, obliterated. They’ll be utter failures with no future! But the Lord will be the Savior of all who love him. Even in their time of trouble, God will live in them as strength. Because of their faith in him, their daily portion will be a Father’s help and deliverance from evil. This is true for all who turn to hide themselves in him!