The Wicked Will Not Last!

March 24, 2026

Scripture

“But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.”  Psalm 37:20

The Wicked Will Not Last!

I have watched a lush, flourishing, green pasture in the Sandhills of Nebraska be transformed into a brown, dried up, and dying pasture in a matter of a few weeks. 

The sun was hot, the humidity was low, the wind was strong, and there was no rain.  The hope of abundant feed for cattle during the summer as well as a bountiful hay crop for the coming winter was mostly destroyed in a very short period of time.

The transformation from abundance to scarcity, from plenty to inadequate, from generous to meager was discouraging and frightening.  The pasture went from glory to gone as the abundance of feed withered and then vanished.  Along with the grass, faith and hope also seemed to vanish.

When David speaks about those who are wicked, he thinks of the times when he saw a fruitful and flourishing green pasture quickly turn into a failed crop.  In Psalm 37:20 David writes; “But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.”          

When we are under the influence of a wicked person or when we are being attacked by a wicked person or when we are unable to free ourselves from the control of a wicked person, it seems like that wicked person will always be with us.  We want to be free from the person who is wicked but sometimes struggle to believe that is a realistic hope.

David assures us the person who is wicked will not last; i.e., the wicked will “perish,” the wicked will “vanish.”  They will be with us like a green pasture and then just as quickly be gone like a pasture that burns up under the hot sun and unrelenting wind.

In Isaiah 40:6-8 we hear; “A voice says, ‘Cry out!’  And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’  All flesh is grass; their constancy is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers; the flower fades, [[when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.  The grass withers; the flower fades,]] but the word of our God will stand forever.”

In I Peter 1:23-25 we hear; “You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’”

That which lasts forever is not wicked people or the power of sin or the Prince of Darkness.  The which lasts forever is the Word of God, the love of Jesus, and those who love the Lord God with all their heart, mind, and soul.

+The righteous people, not the wicked people last forever. 

+Those who live a life of holiness, not those who live a life of evil last forever. 

+The Word of God with all His promises, not the deceit of the wicked and all their lies last forever.

+The fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23), not the works of the wicked (see Jeremiah 1:16) last forever.

+The Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms built by the wicked last forever.

+The work of Jesus on the cross, not the works of the wicked lasts forever.

Throughout Psalm 37, David draws a contrast between those who love the Lord and those who are wicked.  Over and over again, David says those who love the Lord will endure forever while the wicked will vanish sooner than we can imagine.  Those who love the Lord will live in His presence now and forever while the wicked will live separated from the Lord now and forever.

We cling to the Lord God with the promise that He will provide for us, protect us, and be present with us always.  At the same time, we have the confidence that those who are wicked will soon vanish.  This is our hope! 

Reflect

What difference would it make if you really believed that wicked person who has/is hurting you will soon no longer have power or influence over you?  Is there something you can do now to help you endure until the person who is wicked is finally gone from your life?

Pray

Lord God, when it seems the person who is wicked will always be tormenting me, always be torturing me, always be troubling me, please help me to remember your Word through David.  Help me to remember the wicked one will vanish more quickly than the flower of the field and the grass in the pasture.  Reassure me again, Holy Spirit, that you will help me to endure the person who is wicked now.  I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Act

Partner with another Christ-follower in prayer.  Pray together the Lord God will remove the person(s) who is wicked from your life soon.  Pray the Holy Spirit will change the heart, mind, and soul of that wicked person in such a way that they will become a follower of Jesus.