HOPE IN THE LORD
Passage: Psalm 37:23~40  
Key verse: 34
23 The Lord makes firm the steps(A)
of the one who delights(B) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(C)
for the Lord upholds(D) him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(E)
or their children begging(F) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(G)
their children will be a blessing.[a](H)
27 Turn from evil and do good;(I)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(J)
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(K)
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[b];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(L)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(M)
and dwell in it forever.(N)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(O)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(P)
their feet do not slip.(Q)
32 The wicked lie in wait(R) for the righteous,(S)
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned(T) when brought to trial.(U)
34 Hope in the Lord(V)
and keep his way.(W)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(X) you will see(Y) it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(Z) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.(AA)
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
- Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
- Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
Cross references
- Psalm 37:23 : S Job 11:15; S Ps 7:9; 66:9
- Psalm 37:23 : S Nu 14:8; Ps 147:11
- Psalm 37:24 : S Ps 13:4; 27:2; 38:17; 55:22; 119:165; Pr 3:23; 10:9
- Psalm 37:24 : 2Ch 9:8; Ps 41:12; 145:14
- Psalm 37:25 : ver 28; S Ge 15:1; Heb 13:5
- Psalm 37:25 : Ps 111:5; 145:15; Mk 10:46
- Psalm 37:26 : S Lev 25:35
- Psalm 37:26 : Dt 28:4; Ps 112:2
- Psalm 37:27 : Ps 34:14; 3Jn 1:11
- Psalm 37:27 : S Nu 24:21
- Psalm 37:28 : S Dt 7:6; S Ps 18:25; S 97:10
- Psalm 37:28 : S Ge 17:14; S Dt 32:26; Pr 2:22
- Psalm 37:29 : ver 9; Pr 2:21
- Psalm 37:29 : Isa 34:17
- Psalm 37:30 : Ps 49:3; Pr 10:13
- Psalm 37:31 : S Dt 6:6; S Job 22:22
- Psalm 37:31 : S Dt 32:35
- Psalm 37:32 : S Ps 10:8
- Psalm 37:32 : Ps 11:5
- Psalm 37:33 : Job 32:3; Ps 34:22; 79:11
- Psalm 37:33 : 2Pe 2:9
- Psalm 37:34 : Ps 27:14
- Psalm 37:34 : S Ps 18:21
- Psalm 37:34 : ver 9
- Psalm 37:34 : Ps 52:6
- Psalm 37:35 : S Job 5:3
- Psalm 37:36 : ver 10; Pr 12:7; Isa 41:12; Da 11:19
- Psalm 37:37 : ver 18; S Ge 6:9; Ps 18:25
- Psalm 37:37 : Ps 11:7
- Psalm 37:37 : Isa 57:1-2
- Psalm 37:38 : S Ps 1:1
- Psalm 37:38 : S ver 2; Ps 73:19
- Psalm 37:38 : ver 9
- Psalm 37:39 : S Ps 3:8
- Psalm 37:39 : S Ps 9:9
- Psalm 37:40 : S 1Ch 5:20; S Ps 20:2
- Psalm 37:40 : S Ps 34:7
- Psalm 37:40 : S Ps 18:48
- Psalm 37:40 : Ps 2:12
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
David was old when he wrote this Psalm. He saw that the LORD was faithful to his own. He provided everything for them materially and spiritually, including upholding those who stumbled. The LORD never forsakes the one who turns to him and seeks to be just and righteous. The wicked always seek to destroy the righteous, but the LORD does not leave his own or forsake his faithful ones.
2. Hope in the LORD and keep his way (34-40)
David proclaimed hope in the LORD. He knew the LORD would reward those who put their hope in him with eternal salvation; they would inherit the kingdom of God as their blessing. What we see in this world so often is the wicked prospering at the expense of God's people. We learn to see the LORD in the time of trouble. There he is revealed as our salvation and deliverance when we take refuge in him.
Prayer: LORD, thank you for your faithfulness to save and deliver me. Help me to put my hope in you and be a testimony of your power to save.
One Word: Have hope in the LORD's faithfulness