Psalm 107:33 – He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord. (NLT)
Does God bring hardships upon those who do not follow God’s ways? Do those who lead a godly life prosper? These are questions people have wondered about since the dawn of time. I do not believe in a prosperity Gospel. If it were true that God blesses those who follow God’s ways in a material way, then why are there so many poor yet godly people in the world? However, when one reads a text such as the one above, the question remains: does God allow the godly to prosper?
Yes, God does prosper the godly! We must ask ourselves, however, what do we mean by prosper? In this psalm, as in many others, we read about the godly having bumper crops, large herds of livestock, and large families. In light of this text, consider the words of Jesus: “God gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:45). How can we reconcile the words of Jesus with a passage such as the one above?
We need to consider the entire work of the Bible, and refrain from the temptation of pulling certain texts out context. When I try to reconcile verses that speak of only the godly being blessed with Matthew 5:45, I consider what Jesus tells us in John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God does bless the godly, and God blesses them with life to the full!
When we seek God in our daily lives, we find a fullness of life that the world cannot give. When we do not live a godly life, we seek fullness of life in what the world offers, and that will always leave us frustrated and seeking even more from the world. Jesus said: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.” (John 14:27). When we follow God in our daily lives, we will find that what we once thought were deserts have been turned into pools of water, and the dry places of our lives into springs of water (verse 35).
Verse forty two tells us: “The godly will see these things and be glad.” Let us walk with God in our daily lives so that we, too, will see the blessings we have been given, and be glad!
Posted by Ramón Torres
Some people only see the hate and evil in the world. I see it, it doesn’t consume me. There are so many more good people, believers and non believers who treat their neighbors as He taught us. It is sad to see what politics has done to some of His churches. I pray that all Christians who claim Him will act like Him. Imagine a world where everyone is loved and excepted and evil and hate cannot find root. Thy kingdom come Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Silence is a weapon used by oppressors. How many Christians would really risk their lives or lively hoods to save lives on our southern border for instance or stand up and speak out against a political pastor or politician? Christians can be a vaccine for this epidemic of hate and division that is sweeping through our communities, our churches, our country and our world. God forgive us for what we have done to Your World, Your Church and each other. Thank you Ramon 🙏🙏🙏