The Righteous and the Wicked

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of evil men
  or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
  like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
  dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
  and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
  trust in Him and He will do this;
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
  the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
  do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
  when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
  do not fret -- it only leads to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
  but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
  though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
  and enjoy great peace.

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.

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 days of the blameless are known to the Lord,
  and their inheritance will endure forever.
In times of disaster they will not wither;
  in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish;
  The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
  they will vanish -- vanish like smoke.

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 cut off.

If the LORD delight in a man's way,
  He makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
  for the LORD upholds him with His hand.

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 blessed.

TURN from evil and do good;
  then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the LORD loves the just
  and WILL NOT forsake His faithful ones.

They will be protected forever,
  but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
the righteous will inherit the land
  and dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
  and his tongue speaks what is just.
The law of God is in his heart;
  his feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
  seeking their very lives;
but the LORD will not leave them in their power
  or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Wait for the LORD
  and keep His way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
  when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
  flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
but he soon passed away and was no more;
  though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
  there is a future for the man of peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed;
  the future of the wicked will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
  He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The LORD helps them and delivers them;
  HE delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
  because they take refuge in Him.

Although this is a long Psalm it is well worth studying for the contrast it reveals between the wicked and the righteous, most importantly the way God deals with them. For the righteous, there are great promises and assurances. For the wicked, there are dire warnings and admonitions.

While the righteous are instructed to trust in Him, the wicked are warned that their evil ways will cost them everything. The righteous will be upheld, protected, and provided for. The wicked will be destroyed and removed! Though the wicked give all that they have to rid the world of the righteous, it is the wicked who will not survive.

In keeping with the compassion of God, the wicked are cautioned to turn back from their evil ways, to consider and observe the path of righteousness as the better way. From this we know that it is possible for the wicked to become righteous. Indeed, because the righteousness of man is from God, man is able to turn from evil to God. Thereby, becoming the blessed rather than the cursed.

Come then, dear weary and scarred soul, seek the One true God of the Bible -- setting aside the worries of this world for the eternal joy found in Him. Replace that fleeting moment of sin's superficial pleasure with eternal peaceful bliss in the One Who sent His only Son to save you. Christ does not turn away those who come to Him in earnest; but rather, welcomes them with love.

God's peace.