Recently, there has been a controversial and even less empathetic opinion about poverty. The opinion states that poor people will remain poor because of their lazy mindset, and their attitude of envy towards the rich. Of course, this opinion invites many reactions. The issue of poverty and wealth has always sparked debate, who is to blame? Is life just about hard work? Then where is God's place in this conversation?

The psalmist is not blind to the fact that the wicked often seem to win; they borrow but do not pay, they plot evil against the righteous. The world is not always fair. But this Psalm reminds us that victory that is not rooted in righteousness is an illusion that will soon vanish like smoke. The psalmist asserts that God Himself sustains the righteous with His hand. So that those who choose the straight path, even if they have to go against the majority, will still be guided. Even when they slip, they are not allowed to fall to the ground. Their lives may not always be easy, but they are always sustained. This psalm serves as a ‘faithful life map’ for anyone who is tired of false standards of success. It restores our perspective that is tired of comparing ourselves. In God, "having little" doesn't mean lack, because that little is accompanied by peace, favor, and an eternal inheritance.

The psalmist closes this section with an honest testimony, "I was young, now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread" (verse 25). He is not saying the righteous will never experience want, but their lives are never left without God's care.

Friends of the Bible, we live in an age where many people tailor morality to achievement targets. But today's Psalm reminds us to keep walking in righteousness, even if the path is desolate. To choose giving over taking. Stay true to principle, even when the world calls it "naïf."