The Righteous are Never Forsaken

Psalm 37:25 “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” (NIV)

This past summer I visited Texas A&M for the first time since 1968, the year I graduated from the school. I felt guilty in not returning before then, so my wife and I both insisted on making a stop there to revive old memories. I was amazed at how much the campus had changed, and was pretty awestruck by the massive transformation of the place. It was a beautiful thing for me to recognize some land marks on campus that were used for different purposes, and to see the radically changed landscape of buildings and roads. So much had changed that in one way I felt uncomfortable with my walk about the campus. I thought about all that had happened to me since 1968, and to my country, as I reflected in the moment and struggled to come to grips with all the new knowledge that is now available compared to over 40 years ago. Many of my assumptions and thinking had changed over the years as I adjusted to my changing environment, but there were some bedrock truths that never change because they are rooted in God’s eternal word, our Holy Bible.

Such is our devotional verse that recognizes that the way of the world is to be young and then grow old, and in doing so to gain some wisdom along the way. One great central truth of the Christian life is not to fret or become angry or worried because of the scheming of men. David tells us not to fret because of evil men, or when men succeed in their ways. In fact Psalm 37:8 makes it clear that we are not to work ourselves up into a lather and take matters into our own hands because of our fretting. Rather, we are to trust, delight, and be still before the Lord waiting patiently for him to act in our lives. Reacting to the frustrations and injustices of this world without consultation with our God is injurious to our body, mind, and soul. The only way to stem this urge to react is to trust God or have enough confidence in him to know that our deliverance is near.

It is a most special devotional text for me, Psalm 37:25, because it was my father’s favorite verse in Psalms, who valued it so much because the verse affirmed his life’s experiences of being young and then being old, yet never did he see the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. What a super comforting thought that my father dwelt on as he meditated on the meaning and power of God in his life. The most precious gift you can give your children is the gift of faith in God that brings God’s protective power into their lives, ensuring that they need not starve in this world or be forsaken by their God. I have lived for many years, and my father has entered his glory, but I, too, rise up and claim the truth of this precious verse in Psalms that the righteous of God have never been forsaken nor have the children of the righteous needed to beg bread. My friends, look around and confirm God’s truths as part of your experiences that you might put them in your heart, and God will ensure that your feet do not slip (Psalm 37:31).

THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR YOUR CONSISTENCY IN DEALING WITH ME OVER MY DAYS, SO THAT I UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF YOUR UNCHANGING PRINCIPLES FOR MY LIFE. I HAVE BEEN YOUNG, AND NOW I AM OLD, AND YOU HAVE NEVER FORSAKEN ME. PRAISE THE LORD! AMEN!

Article Source: Mike White @ Summit church of Christ