This passage brings attention to something we commonly see in our world. The wicked will use any and every means, ethical or unethical, to get ahead. In this example, the wicked readily take or give a bribe to gain the advantage. For the righteous, this reality can be unsettling. Perhaps you have been passed for a promotion by someone who is unethical, or you watch in horror as judges unjustly change marriage laws decided by the voter. The response to this wickedness could be one of two things: hopelessness and cynicism or the urge to resort to the same wicked tactics to stay on par. But the Godly response is to continuing living Godly. “Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side” is only true when we are on God’s side. The truth is that no matter what evils the wicked resort to, they really never have the upper hand. This is often true even in the moment. Think of Haman being hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. God delights in thwarting the purposes of the wicked. But this is always ultimately true. As Psalm 2 makes plain, God will have the last laugh. As I Corinthians 15 reminds us, Christ is reigning until He has fully subdued all His enemies. We must walk in the path of the psalmist in Psalm 121, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Where will you fix your eyes this morning?