Psalm 37:16-17 - April 23, 2009

Ps 37:16-17 "Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous." NIV

Can you imagine a situation where you are better off with a little money than a lot of money? Maybe when you are being robbed? How about when your house burns down or a flood destroys everything you own? Each of these is a true situation where having less would reduce the pain of the loss but the scriptures identify a situation of even greater substance where it is better to have a little than a lot. According to the Word of God it is better to have a little when gaining a lot will cost you your integrity! There is no price that you can put on character and holiness. A righteous life cannot be exchanged for gold, silver or prestige! Too often we relate to our character as something that is negotiable. We are tempted to relate to the pursuit of wealth as purely an issue of opportunity and reward. But this is not the way of God.
The wealth of the wicked is pleasant to them for a season but the book of Proverbs tells us the wealth of the wicked comes with a cost. Prov 15:16 says “Better a little with the fear of the LORD, than great wealth with turmoil.” Wealth acquired through wickedness comes at the cost of all of the violations of integrity that have been involved in its acquisition; broken trusts, damaged relationships, compromise of character. Even when no one else is seemingly hurt my own spirit is greatly wounded when I violate my integrity. My conscience suffers a distancing from the peace of the Holy Spirit and my confidence before God is diminished. We are reminded by the Psalmist of two things in this verse; that wealth equals power and that both the power and the wealth of the wicked are broken in a moment when the Lord chooses to move. At the end of God’s dealings when all of the wealth has slipped away through the affairs of life there is nothing left if we have forfeited our character in pursuit of that wealth. But if I have lived righteously the fruit of this can never be taken away from me even when all the wealth is gone.
God is not against a life of abundance. In fact God’s ways are quite the opposite. Wealth from God enables the fulfillment of many of God’s kingdom purposes. It is the wrong acquisition and use of wealth that God despises. It is the love of wealth and the damage that this does to people that is his primary concern. Deut 8:18 tells us the truth of God’s purpose in regard to wealth, “remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant.” In 1 Chron 29:12 the scriptures continue on to say “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.” The ability to produce wealth comes from the Lord! It is not my own intelligence or hard work. It is favor with God that produces wealth. It is His mercy and His purpose that prospers one man above another. Deu. Goes as far as to say that the production of great wealth is a confirmation of God’s covenant to us! What these verses do is put into context the passage we have been considering in Psalm 37. It is not teaching us that poverty is better than wealth. What it is placing in our hearts is that little is better than much when it costs you your integrity to acquire that wealth and that wealth gained in such a way is going to be blown away like the wind. Prov 8:18 is the voice of God telling us the simple truth, “With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity,” and Prov. 10:22 concludes the principle. “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.” God desires to bless you and to cause you to walk in the abundance that is found in Him and when it is His blessing acquired through righteous means it comes without pain and loss in some other area of life!