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The Blessing of the Righteous
Psalm 37:25-26 “I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the
[uncompromisingly] righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread. All day long they are merciful and deal
graciously; they lend, and their offspring are blessed.” (Amplified Bible)
Have you ever considered how much impact you have on your future generations? Just think, the way
you live actually affects the circumstances of your offspring. When I meditate upon this verse of scripture,
I experience a “Wow” moment. To think that what I do will carry down through
my generations is truly awesome. This scripture verse drives home the point that we do not belong to ourselves.
The decisions we make in our lives affect more than us – it affects our offspring as well.
When David wrote these words, he was apparently what we would call a senior citizen. As he reflects
back over his experiences, he recognizes an awesome truth. He says that he was young at one time, but now
he’s old. And, one thing he has noticed is that he had never seen
the uncompromisingly righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread. David says
that he had personally witnessed how God takes care of those who are sincere in their relationship with Him. He
calls them the “righteous” because they follow God’s commandments and make the
decision to be obedient. The righteous are those who live purposefully-the ones who do not compromise, and do not bring shame
or reproach to His name. Consequently, God is involved in the lives of the righteous.
He does not forsake them. In other words, God does not permit or loosen or relinquish his hold on
them or leave them destitute. He keeps them. He holds them up. When
the righteous fall, He lifts them up. He is near to them all the time. He’s never
away from the uncompromisingly righteous. David continues by saying that not only are the righteous not
forsaken, but his seed or offspring will not get in a position where they have to beg. In other words the
righteous preserves the future of his offspring by what he does and how he lives. Their offspring will
not have to search out or require or desire food (necessities). They will be satisfied. They
won’t go hungry (or be in lack). Why? Well, because the righteous person is merciful
and helps those who are in need. David writes that they deal graciously and lend and as a result their
offspring are blessed. In other words the righteous bends or stoops in kindness to those who are inferior
and extend favor. They take pity on those who are in difficult circumstances and lend a helping hand to
them. They pray and make supplication for them. Their hearts are sensitive to their
need. They are givers because they are moved with compassion. The interesting
thing about the righteous is that serving others is a way of life for them. They look for opportunities
to be a blessing and to bless others. As they continue to operate in this way, the righteous insure the
future stability and protection of their offspring. Their offspring are blessed. This
means their offspring are prosperous and others are liberal with them when they get into difficult circumstances.
Why? Because the Lord delights in justice and does not forsake His saints; they are
preserved forever… (verse 28). This is a divine law – a formal decree.
It is God’s justice. It does not change. This is the greatest life insurance policy a person
can have: to know that my future generations will be taken care of – that they will be blessed –
that they will be protected. Wow!! Now that gives me something else to live for! How
about you?!!!!
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