God is sovereign even over mighty kings and rulers (1). He sees everyone's plans (2). He blesses the righteous and he thwarts the wicked (3). We are so often overcome by the evil in this world. Or we are tempted to rely on our own plans to win. We need to come back to God in our thinking and believe that he sees the righteous and he will bless and honor them. We need to come to him on our knees and humbly rely on him to guide, protect, and help us. And he will. Are you trusting in him today?

The ways of the wicked are obvious. They proudly lie, cheat, deceive, bribe, and abuse (4, 5, 6, 8, 10). We must not follow their ways or get caught up in their thinking. We must acknowledge that these ways are wrong. The outcome is sin and wrath (4, 12). We always have a choice in life. The conduct of the innocent is upright (8b). In a world where wrong seems right, it takes courage to live innocently. When we do what is right, we are like Noah, who walked with God in a wicked generation. Let's not stray from the truth and live in regret (16).

This passage contains sad warnings about home life turning sour (9, 12, 19). The family that worships together grows in righteousness. Those who chase after pleasure fall into misery (16, 17).


Application: Father, thank you for blessing those who choose to live uprightly. Give us the courage to do so and experience your peace, joy, and protection.
One Word: God's eyes are on the righteous