Psalm 37:18-20 - "Their Inheritance Shall Be Forever"

Over and over again David paints a contrast between the future of the wicked and the blessings of the upright and righteous person. The wicked will fade away and perish like the grass and flowers of the fields but the righteous will “dwell in the land” and be given the desires of their hearts (vv. 3-4). The evildoers will be “cut off” and “be no more” but those “who wait on the LORD will inherit the earth” (vv. 9-10). The schemes and deceitful plots of the wicked to get wealthier and have more control over others will return to destroy them, but the “little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked” (vv. 14-18). The “inheritance of the upright will be forever” and even “in the evil time they will not be ashamed” of their faith and trust in the LORD, and “in the days of famine they will be satisfied”. But “the wicked will perish and like the beauty of the meadows and like smoke they will vanish away” and disappear! (vv. 18-20). My friend, what would you rather have, something that is so temporal, or something that is lasting and eternal? Over the many years of ministry one of the tragic stories I have seen way too many times, is that almost before we bury the parents after the funeral, the siblings are already at odds and fighting over the inheritance. Relationships are destroyed, and brothers and sisters never talk to each other again because they feel like they didn’t get that rightful share of the inheritance left by the parents. Jesus had to deal with this in Luke 12:13-15: “Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Jesus basically told this man, that what really matter was not who got the most out of an inheritance, but that you need to make sure that you don’t have a “covetous” spirit and understand that having a lot of things or money will never satisfy. If we could only really believe and understand the significance of our “eternal forever inheritance” (Psalm 37:18). Paul’s final words to the elders at Ephesus in Acts 20:32 were these: “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” We find our “forever inheritance” in the Word of God. In Acts 26:18, Paul was giving his testimony to King Agrippa, telling about how he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and Jesus told him to go to the Gentiles, “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' We receive this inheritance by our faith in Jesus Christ! Our “forever inheritance” in found in our relationship with Jesus Christ. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:16-18) And finally, Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” God bless!