16a“Better is the little that the righteous has…” [for] 17b“…the Lord upholds the righteous.” We begin our time in the word at the end of our selected text. Again, we focus our attention on the goodness of God, the grace of God, the gifts, and provisions of God to be enjoyed through walking in God’s ways, rather than becoming distracted, being derailed by evildoers, wrongdoers, and the wicked. Much of Psalm 37:12-17 addresses the ways of the wicked along with their would-be fate. This, however, is not where our interests lie. Remember, if we have made the choice to commit to God… patiently wait on God, then what benefits us most is to hear and heed the Lords promises, listen to, and align our thinking, actions, and way of being with what the word reveals will manifest our hopes and desired expectations.
Repeating the excerpt on which we are focused: 16a“Better is the little that the righteous has…” [for] 17b“…the Lord upholds the righteous.” For me, the words in vs. 17b invoke images from Exodus 17:8-13.Precisely when Moses grows weary and no longer has strength to stand and keep his arms raised, Moses is given a stone on which to sit while Aaron and Hur hold up his hands… steady his hands thus assuring Israel’s victory over the besieging army in the valley below. This is a visible, tangible example of how God will intervene in our circumstances… move on our behalf… send help at the right time and in the right way, to accomplish God’s word and fulfill the Lord’s promises in the lives of the righteous.
Let Us Pray
Lord God, our hope, and trust rests in you. As you have been faithful throughout all generations to uphold the arms of the righteous, Lord, we trust that you will be faithful to us if we keep you first… strive to consistently walk in your ways. Lord God, we pray that you will forever be our strength, our God, and our guide. May we hide your word in our hearts and be obedient to live it out.
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