Read the Book: April - JuneSample

Week 15

Psalm 36

The Way of The Righteous

Do you primarily view the world black and white, or do you tend to see more gray? The 21st century certainly presents us with unique challenges which require divine wisdom for us to navigate faithfully. However, God’s Word reminds us that, ultimately, there are only two paths in life: the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous. This is black and white with no in-between.

Psalm 36 gives us insight into the way of the wicked. First, they have no respect for any authority outside themselves—they do not fear God. They are the final measure of reality. Second, they believe that they are good and refuse to acknowledge their own sinfulness before God. And third, they have no regard for truth and conclude that the future belongs to them. Good and evil are then confused and the wicked pursue their own advancement without concern for others.

Calling good things “evil” and evil things “good” seems to be the trademark error of our day. Furthermore, many refuse to acknowledge an objective measure against which our lives are judged. And certainly, self-absorption and bids for power are on full display in our shared public life.

The righteous don’t fixate on these futile attempts to get ahead. Instead, they trust in God’s character. Verses 5-9 remind us of the loving care that God has for His children: “The end of the wicked is soberly predicted, even if at times they appear to prosper” (v. 12). But the righteous are satisfied with the provision God has for them. One day, we will literally “feast on the abundance of [God’s] house” (v. 8) together—and better yet, this feast has been entirely paid for by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus himself.

Family Connection: Take time as a family this week to look up at the sky! Maybe it is on a walk, or maybe you lay out in the backyard and watch the clouds. Talk about what you see and ask your family where the sky ends! Say that the Bible tells us that "God's faithfulness reaches to the skies." This means we can always come to Him for His love, which never runs out!