Under the Lord's Care

March 25

Numbers 26

Psalm 37:14-22

Proverbs 8:34-36

Luke 1:57-80

Under the Lord’s Care

“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 blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever, in times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”  Psalm 37:16-19 NIV

“The blameless spend all their days under the Lord’s care.”  This is not referring to someone who is sinless.  Obviously, no one would meet that standard.  It is referring to someone who is faithful, fears God, and strives to avoid evil.  Psalm 15:2, Job 1:1, and Psalm 18:2 convey the same idea.   Although the wicked seem to prosper and benefit from their wicked ways, the righteous can trust that God will care for them.  The little they have is of greater value and will bring blessings and contentment, while the ill-gotten riches of the wicked will be a source of strife and trouble.   We might be tempted to measure our success by the abundance of possessions and power that we have, and the world around us may look at our clothes, our cars, where we lay our head at night and our bank account to determine our worth.  The world finds security in the things they own and the power and influence they wield, but they fail to recognize that it can all be lost in a moment.  The recent wildfires in California and the hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina are a stark reminder of that.  Stock markets crash, cancer can come out of nowhere, and those we place our trust in can turn against us.  Placing our security in the temporary and fleeting things of this world is like building a house on quicksand. 

            “The power of the wicked will be broken.”  We can be assured that evil will not win.  Truth will be revealed and their evil ways will be exposed.  God will uphold the cause of the righteous. We can rest in the certainty of His care and protection.  When disaster strikes, and it inevitably will strike everyone, the righteous will stand firm.   If our energy and attention is spent on gaining more possessions and attaining worldly success, when disaster comes, we will be left with nothing.  But if our eyes are focused on Jesus and we spend our time and energy storing up treasures in heaven, then when calamity comes, we will have everything we need to sustain us.  “In days of famine we will enjoy plenty.”  Philippians 4:19 promises, “And my God will fulfill all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  (LSB)   Our God has abundant riches at His disposal.  When we place our trust in Him, He will take care of us all the days of our lives.  And as His children,  we have an inheritance waiting for us in eternity that is far beyond anything we can imagine.  The promises in this passage provide comfort and strength as we wait patiently for God.