The Fullness of the Blessing | Bible in One Year
Psalm 37:21-31
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
|but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
|but those he curses will be destroyed.
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
|of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
|for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
|yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
|or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
|their children will be a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good;
|then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
|and will not forsake his faithful ones.
|Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
|the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
|and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
|and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
|their feet do not slip.
Commentary
Be generous, always
Some people in life are ‘givers’ and some are ‘takers’. According to David, this is a key difference between the ‘righteous’ and the ‘wicked’: ‘Wicked borrows and never returns; Righteous gives and gives. Generous gets it all in the end’ (vv.21–22a, MSG).
Generosity is not an occasional act; it is a way of living. The generous are ‘always generous and lend freely’ (v.26). The Lord delights in those who live like this (v.23). You may hit problems and stumble but you will not fall (v.24). God’s promise is to bless you and your children (vv.25–26).
In today’s world, we are confronted by many ‘children begging bread’ (v.25). The bigger picture of this psalm is a vision of the entire people of God upheld by the practice of mutual generosity: giving and receiving. It was the people who followed God in generous giving to the poor that would find that their own needs were met when things took a turn for the worse. Whether financially, or otherwise, the rest of the community would support them in their need.
In today's COVID-19 world we are aware of great need both locally and further afield. God’s will for all his people is to uphold one another by ‘[giving] generously’ (v.21). Take every opportunity to give generously and you will experience the fullness of God’s blessing.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the amazing promises you make to those who give generously. Help me never to be satisfied with the level of my giving but always to seek to become more generous.
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