For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
The closing verse of the Psalm presents the final difference between two ways. The Lord “knows” the way of the righteous not only in the sense that He is informed about their life. God lovingly receives, preserves, and guides those who rely on Him. He knows their struggles, their prayers, and even those faithful deeds that remain hidden from people. The way of the righteous may pass through trials, yet it does not perish, because it is under God’s care. The way of the wicked has the opposite end. It “will perish,” because the course of sin carries within itself the seed of destruction and in the end meets God’s righteous judgment. Here the emphasis is placed not only on two kinds of people, but on two directions of life. One is guided by God’s word toward life, and the other by self-will toward loss. Christ presented Himself as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Therefore the way of the righteous is finally secure not because of his perfection, but because of the Lord’s grace and faithful keeping.