ROOTED - Friday, August 8, 2025

Psalm 37:21
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously

Reflection: Roots to Fruit Friday
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
“The wicked borrow and do not repay.” The Psalmist often says things in blunt and unambiguous ways. “The wicked!” That is the Psalmists favorite way of describing people who do not walk with God. We read about the wicked in verse 1 of Psalm 1: “Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked.” They are the kind of people we want to avoid… the kind of people we hope to not be. They have a way of living, and we are instructed to not walk in step with them. One thing they do is borrow and fail to repay. That, according to the Psalmist, is wickedness.
In very stark contrast, we read that the righteous (those who do walk with God) deal with finances differently. They are not known by borrowing but by giving. They do not borrow and steal by not repaying… they give. They give generously. It would be hard to write a clearer and more stark contrast. Two kinds of people: wicked and righteous. Two actions: borrowing and giving. Two dispositions: dishonestly/stingily and generously. The heart of God for us as believers, as followers of Christ, is generosity. We give, as Christ gave. We bless others and don’t defraud them. This is a simple, rubber-meets-the-road kind of righteousness. 

Prayer
Lord, help us to be generous in our giving and live righteously in our generosity. May we do so as a reflection of who you are, a generous Giver!