The Lord Sustains the Righteous: Knowing, Upholding, Enduring
The Lord knows the days of the blameless and upholds them in famine; their steps are firm and their hands are generous because God sustains them.
Psalms 37:18–26 (BSB)
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
19 In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
20 But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
25 I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
26 They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.
What is the big idea of Psalms 37:18–26?
The Lord knows the days of the blameless and upholds them in famine; their steps are firm and their hands are generous because God sustains them.
How does Psalms 37:18–26 point to Christ?
Jesus Christ is the only perfectly righteous one whose steps were ordered into the valley of death so that we would never be 'forsaken'; because He was 'upheld' in resurrection, we now inherit the eternal abundance of His kingdom.
Authorial Intent
To provide a senior believer's testimony to the unwavering faithfulness of God's providence, contrasting the stability and generosity of the righteous with the fragility of the wicked.
Chapter: Psalm 37
The Meek Inherit the Land as the Wicked Fade
Because the LORD will remove the wicked and give the future to the meek, His people must refuse fretting, trust Him, do good, and wait for His salvation.