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

Age and experience are life’s best teachers. All the books we read and the classes we take give us great foundational ‘knowledge’ but wisdom comes from experience. David saw his share of heartache and hardship during his life. He experienced the pain of losing family and friends. He lived the shame and embarrassment of being ‘caught in sin’. He had his share of victories and endured his share of defeats.

Yet in all his pain and frustration, during all those times when others failed him, or he failed others and God, David knew that he could trust God. Why worry when you are alone on the hillside, tending sheep and the bear and wolf attack. God is there. Why worry when the enemy giant mocks your God threatens your nation? God will fight for you. Why dwell on past mistakes, regardless of how embarrassing? God forgives and heals.

I wonder if, when David wrote this verse, he had a bit of an epiphany, a revelation from God. I can see him now, sitting up on his palace roof looking out over the city. He sees the homes of the wealthy. He sees the homes of the destitute. Over there is beggars lane where the blind and the crippled wait for alms.

Then, it hits him. He looks towards heaven and in an attitude of awe and worship he says, “You know Father, now that I think about it, those who follow you are never forgotten. You remember those who struggle with life physically, emotionally and spiritually. You remember those who have found out the secret to successful living. Why worry?

David’s revelation is one we can all ponder as we travel this journey of life. I like to think of Psalm 37 as the ‘Don’t worry, be happy’ Psalm. As we go through life it can be frustrating when we see people who reject God and seem to prosper while those of us who try to follow him struggle with health, relationships, finances and doubt.

David’s message is the same to us today. God loves you. He has given everything of value to you. He didn’t ask you to clean up your act. He doesn’t require a down payment before he’ll forgive you. He knows the mistakes you made in secret. He knows the doubt and rebellion you will have in the future. Still, His promise of love and forgiveness is true.

We may not have all the things we want in life. But if we commit to growing in relationship to him, He will provide for us. Don’t worry about tomorrow. The one who made tomorrow loves you dearly and has everything taken care of. Ours is not to worry, ours is to trust His promise to provide in His way, not ours.

PRAYER:  Father God, I thank you for your promise to provide for me. I confess to you that I struggle with worry and doubt. I make life harder for me with some of the decisions I’ve made and that keeps me from resting in you. Forgive me for the poor choices I make. Empower me with your Spirit to trust you completely. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.


Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well. Proverbs 23:23

When you want something of value you save every penny to get it. Let’s say, for example, you are a collector of fine art and you find a rare painting by your favorite artist, You decide you MUST have this painting so you plan on how to get it.

You give up other things of less importance; cut back on other expenses; perhaps get a second job. You study up on this particular painting and find out all you can about it. You become an ‘expert’ on this cherished of all possessions and the artist who created it.

After all your labors, on that day of all days, if you’ve worked hard and scrimped and saved, the time arrives. You go to the seller to make the purchase. You examine it one more time making sure there are no flaws and that everything is just as it should be. Once assured of this you lay down all that you have to make that cherished possession yours. Success has come. The fruit of all your labor and sacrifice has come. Let the celebration begin.

Now that the picture is hanging securely on the wall, how much would you sell it for? You would no doubt look at me incredulously. “Sell it? I just bought it!” you say. “Do you realize how much I’ve given up for it? The ball games I’ve missed. The fishing trips I’ve passed up? The party invitations I’ve passed on? It’s NOT for sale. No amount of money in the world would be enough. It’s mine.”

Solomon, in all of his wisdom, had enough money to buy anything and everything he wanted. Yet he tells us in Proverbs 23:23 what is really important: Truth. In our world of relativity Truth with a capital ‘T’ is hard to come by. We’ve bought into the idea that Truth is what you make it. What’s true for me isn’t true for you. Honesty is dependent on the situation. Wisdom changes with every new philosophy and whim of mindless, science based religion.

As Christ-followers, each of us is given Truth by the God of the universe, through His Word (the Bible) and His Son Jesus Christ. He has given us His Holy Spirit so that we can gain wisdom in understanding His ways and insight into how to walk this journey we call life. Seek after the Truth He has to offer us by drawing close to Him in relationship. Read His Word. It is still the only source of real truth available. Pray daily and often. What a marvelous opportunity prayer is. To think that we as mere mortals can talk personally with the Creator of the Universe! Don’t let past mistakes and your inability to understand God completely keep you from spending time getting to know Him. As God’s cherished possession, He has given all He has to acquire you and He’ll never let you go.

PRAYER: Father God, there are so many voices that are calling out to me to be tolerant of this or accepting of that. There are so ideas out there that confuse me as to what is right and wrong. I confess to you that I’ve not always followed you as I should. I ask for Your Holy Spirit to empower me to grow in relationship and understanding of Your ways so that they become a part of my daily existence. Thank you for giving so much so that I can live in Truth. In Jesus name, Amen.

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