Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are from YHWH, and he establishes him in whose way he delights; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for YHWH is the stay of his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread. 26 He is ever giving liberally and lending, and his children become a blessing.
Are such promises applicable to every godly person?
It is a general truth expressing the fact God consistently treats the obedient with favor. There is no guarantee about the *way* God will bless, but the point is--He is going to bless that person for being obedient.
There were times when Israel absolutely did not get bread and water for their children, even when they were obedient. They obediently went out into the Wilderness, and seemed to run into nothing better than poison ponds. The families went without water, it seems, for 3 days.
But God was not showing disfavor towards them, but rather, proving that they were truly "favored" and obedient. Many of them were either phoniess or weak on the "obedience" side. They could not be favored as such if they weren't truly obedient.
But there are times when God reserves the right to test us even when we're obedient. That happened to Job. But we all know how it turned out in the end. He became a great figure of "biblical proportions!"
You can't receive much better favorable treatment than that!
Keep in mind that even though we are considered "obedient" none of us are without the need for chastisement. Correction is the way of life, I read in the Proverbs. We are not true children if our Father in heaven doesn't spend each day correcting us. So "favorable treatment" does not mean we avoid chastisement.
Not only that but we are all victims of circumstance, as well. We were all born into a sinful world, where the chain of circumstances often cause us to suffer due to no cause of our own. God expects us to suffer with the recognition that He let His own Son suffer, as well, to bear the sins of the world, forgiving those who repent.
