The Rewards of Righteousness

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Give Honor

Text: Psalms 37:23-25

Psalm 37:23–25 (NKJV)

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

Nor his descendants begging bread.

Psalm 37:23–25 (NLT)

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

Though they stumble, they will never fall,

for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Once I was young, and now I am old.

Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned

or their children begging for bread.

"Serving the Lord will pay off after a while."

Most of us have heard this statement a time or two at some point in our lives.

From the gentle whispers of our mothers and fathers

to the vibrant sermons of our pastors and leaders,

This is a phrase that should resonate deeply in the hearts of those who serve the Lord.

If I were to poll the room this morning,

There are many of us who can testify that at sometime or another,

We’ve all had those moments when we’ve come across this saying.

Maybe you were just starting out in your faith,

eagerly anticipating for your life to transform in a matter of hours, . or

Maybe you’ve been on this journey for years,

faithfully serving the Lord, without seeing much tangible fruit,

Maybe it was those times when you felt like you were being overlooked in your ministry,

Or maybe you felt undervalued at work,

At some point or another we’ve heard something along the lines of “Serving the Lord will pay off afterwhile”.

If I can be honest this morning,

This statement is sometimes easier to say than it is to actually believe...

Because sometimes, LIFE JUST BE LIFEING.

If it’s not one thing it’s another,

Bill after Bill

Fight after Fight,

hardship after hardship

Sickness after sickness

problem after problem

Pain after pain,

Uncertainty AFTER UNCERTAINTY

Calamity AFTER CALAMITY

AND SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE IT...

You’re trying your best to live for Jesus,

Then there’s that one who has it all together,

Blessings coming from everywhere and you’re wondering,

When will it be my turn?

When will I see change in my finances

When will I be seen

When will my mental be right

Lord, I’m trying, but it’s not looking too hot

Allow these words, this morning,

to serve as a reminder that

in the grand scheme of things, When it’s all said and done

there are rewards waiting for those who choose the path of righteousness.

It’s here in Psalms 37, where we find a wealth of wisdom written by David that speaks directly to this very thought.

Psalms 37 is a Psalm that contrasts the consequences of the wicked with the rewards of the righteous.

This psalm also gives wisdom, to those who are in the in between,

waiting on God to do something with you while worrying because the unrighteous are Living their best life.... Well, This text , teaches us that as the righteous, we have access to things that the wicked do not.

and the question that I want to answer today is,

What is it that we have access to?

We have access to

1. God’s Intentional Direction (23)

v. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

v. 23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

This verse paints a vivid picture of divine guidance and intimate care for those who walk in righteousness.

Look at David, a man whose life was a life filled with purpose by the hands of God. In his later years, that David could look back in retrospect and see the intricate design of his life.

From the days spent tending to sheep in the wilderness,

where he was faced with lions and bears and fought them with courage granted by the Lord,

to the seasons of running for his life from Saul's pursuit,

David understood that every step was ordained by God.

That God had his hand in it all.

Despite not always comprehending the immediate reasons for his trials,

David's faith remained steadfast in God's intentional direction.

You see the Lion and the bears that David fought were intentional,

because he would soon face a goliath and will use the same strategy that he learned from fighting the lion and the bears, to kill goliath

You see David being a shepherd was intentional

Because David would use the same strategies he used as a shepherd boy tending the sheep in his flock....to shepard all of Israel and Judah.

and I’m sure it was hard for David because one really doesn’t understand the intentionally of God until we look back at all that has gotten us to the point we are at,

but in David’s old age, I’m sure he understood all of the things that had gotten him to that point which made him come to the revelation that

It is a privilege to have God’s Intentional Direction.

This is why he wrote,

Psalm 23:1–3 (KJV 1900)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Because David understood that It is a privilege to have God’s intentional direction.

We have someone directing us that has our best interest at heart.

and We, too, may find ourselves in seasons of uncertainty,

facing challenges that seem too great to overcome.

Yet, in the midst of it all, we must hold fast to the truth that God directs our steps.

Even when we don't understand the why or the how,

we can trust that everything God does is for a reason.

So, do not allow the problems and trials of life to overshadow the power and faithfulness of God.

Instead, lean into His intentional direction, knowing that He delights in every detail of our lives and is leading us toward His perfect will.

We have his INTENTIONAL DIRECTION

Wherever God led is, is for a reason

Whatever God let happen to us, is for a reason,

Whatever job we lose is for a reason,

Whatever perils of life that we face, is for a reason,

So stand firm in knowing that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THEM THAT LOVE GOD because we are following his intentional direction. We have access to

1. God’s intentional Direction but then we have access to

2. God’s Divine Protection (24)

24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,

for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Psalm 37:24 reassures us of God's divine protection: The Bible says "Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."

This imagery of God holding us by the hand evokes a powerful sense of intimacy and care in the midst of life's challenges.

This literally paints a picture of a parent walking hand in hand with a small child so tight that if the child trips,

the parent is strong enough to pick them up before their bodies hit the floor.

Watch David's experiences.

In Psalm 73:2, he exclaims, "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold."

Despite David being a man after God's own heart,

He faced moments of doubt and fear and temptation.

He almost stumbled in various aspects of his life,

whether it was in his moral choices,

leadership decisions,

or personal trials

David has stumbled

and He’s almost fallen

to the point of no return,

But just as that baby who has stumbled and almost fell,

David was picked up before he fell off.

And I don’t know about you,

but there is a reward in God’s divine protection,

Because God will protect you from falling on your face.

When I was messed up

When I slipped

When I was tripping

When I wasn't praying like I should

when I wasn’t fasting like I should

When I was in my feelings

I was able to see God's divine protection at work.

What seemed like a setback

What seemed like a slip up

What seemed like a mess up

was often a set up, for God to show up

God is a God who will keep you from falling

Jude 24–25 (KJV 1900)

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

HES A PROTECTOR !!!!!

God's hand is always there, guiding us,

sustaining us,

and ultimately preventing us from falling into despair or destruction.

‘So, even in the midst of life's uncertainties and challenges, we must be grateful at the fact that God is protector

We have access to God’s intentional

1. God’s intentional Direction but then we have access to

2. God’s Divine Protection (24)

3. God’s Guaranteed Provision (25)

25 Once I was young, and now I am old.

Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned

or their children begging for bread.

David’s statement shows David's unwavering trust in God's provision throughout his life.

David's own experiences bear witness to God's faithfulness.

David says I was young, and now I’m old

one theologian suggests that He recalls the stories of his ancestors,

in the book of Ruth,

where people like Naomi and Ruth faced hardship and famine.

Despite their initial struggles and uncertainties,

God provided for them in remarkable ways when they trusted in Him.

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem to find that God had taken care of His people, even in their absence.

Through all these experiences,

David's life reflects a journey of faith, resilience, and reliance on God's faithfulness in the midst of adversity.

The reward of righteousness, as David highlights, is not merely material wealth or earthly success, but the assurance that we are held in God's hands.

It's about trusting in His provision,

even in times of scarcity or uncertainty.

Just as God provided for those who trusted Him in ancient times,

He continues to provide for His faithful ones today.

So, the reward of righteousness isn't just about getting what's in God's hands; it's about being in His hands, secure in His care and provision, both in this life and for eternity.

David says I was young and now I;m old,

I’ve seen a lot of things in my life,

I've seen the giant Goliath defy the armies of Israel,

"I've seen the jealousy and anger of King Saul, who sought my life, \

"I've seen my own sins, from Bathsheba to the rebellion of my sons,

"I've seen the sorrow of losing a child,

"I've seen the betrayal of trusted friends

"I've seen the chaos and turmoil of war,

" "I've seen the trials and tribulations of leadership

"I've seen the hardships of exile and longing for home,

I’ve seen my own son turn against me..

Oh I’ve seen some stuff...

he said I was young and now I’m old...

I’ve seen some stuff..

but one thing I haven't seen,

One thing I did not experience

One thing I know nothing about

Is the fact that I’ve never seen the righteous, or his seed begging bread