Those who trust in the Lord can rely on Him and stand firm. Yet the psalmist goes on to say that the righteous may stretch out their hands to iniquity. If so, can such people be called righteous, and how much is their righteousness then worth?

Yes, this is a bitter truth: human beings are weak and unsteady in the face of sinful temptations, and even very steadfast people have stumbled more than once. It is difficult to avoid the temptations that surround us in daily life, and harder still when one is under the power of the wicked, who actively impose their corrupt way of life on everyone who depends on them.

Yet even in such a difficult situation, the Lord does not abandon His children. Everyone who wants to rely on God can receive strength from Him. Those who value crooked paths more than righteousness may continue to wander along them. The heavenly Father looks with pain upon His wayward children, but their freedom, too, is inviolable...