What does Psalm 17:14 mean?
As part of his praise in another psalm, David referred to his "portion" in God (Psalm 16:5–6). This came in the context of an eternal relationship with the Lord (Psalm 16:10–11). Here, David refers to those enemies who reject God as those who have their "portion in this life." A "portion," in Old Testament imagery, is a reference to someone's allotted destiny, with a specific sense of God's choice. Those with a portion only in earthly life are those whose success and happiness will end, dramatically, when their lives end (Proverbs 10:28; 14:32; 1 Corinthians 15:19).These foes are men of the world, in the spiritual sense. They have nothing to look forward to in eternity (Hebrews 10:27–31). All they have is what they accumulate in this life. That earthly wealth may be considerable, even if their spirits are not right with God (Luke 12:13–20). The Lord might give them children, and whatever possessions and wealth they obtain they leave behind to those descendants. But in eternity, they will have nothing but torment (Mark 9:47–48).
The Bible differentiates between people of the world and followers of Christ (1 John 2:15). The only enjoyment people of the world have they derive from worldly treasure. Eternity holds only judgment and anguish for them. However, followers of Christ have treasures in heaven. When the apostle Paul faced the possibility of execution, he wrote, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). The apostle John draws a contrast between the emptiness of worldly lusts and the reward that comes from doing God's will. He writes in 1 John 2:17: "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."