Thursday, November 8 Devotion

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8 — PSALM 37:21 A Debt Free Church “The wicked man borrows and does not repay, but the righteous one is gracious and giving.” – Psalm 37:21 (HCSB) There are few conversations pertaining to finances that bring more heated debate than debt. Part of the issue is that the Bible neither explicitly forbids borrowing, nor does it laud a lifestyle characterized by borrowing. Somewhere in between those two extremes, we discover the prudent way for the believer to address debt. Of the many passages that speaks to dealing with financial obligation, one of the absolutes for believers, is that in the event that money is borrowed, it must be paid back in an expeditious fashion. Psalm 37 is a didactic psalm, which means it was written to teach a variety of proverb-like lessons on life as it pertains to living in a godly way. As the psalmist compared the manner of the wicked to that of the righteous in a variety of contexts, verse 21 found him turning his attention to the manner in which financial resources are managed. Two polar opposite depictions are offered by way of contrast. Beginning with the wicked one, the psalmist described him as borrowing without repaying the sum. The clear intent of the wicked is to fill his own treasury with no regard for the theft committed. Whatever action or decision is necessary to add to his ill-gotten resources is viewed as a required means to a dishonorable end. Only the wicked deal in such a lack of integrity. The righteous one, on the other hand, exhibits the open-handed graciousness that has been the pervasive topic of this series. Generosity with his own resources, with no mention of exacting reimbursement, is characteristic of the righteous. The ability of the righteous to demonstrate such generosity is rooted in the understanding of the even greater generosity with which God has treated him already. Instead of acquiring riches through his own means, regardless of their valor, the righteous one places his hope for provision in God. For us, that means the pathway toward righteousness includes not only dutifully managing the repayment of funds borrowed, but doing so to honor God. If the wicked are those who borrow without repaying, the righteous response to debt is to aggressively eliminate indebtedness as quickly as possible. That is as true personally as it is corporately. As one unified local body of Christ, then, it is our opportunity to bear witness to the character of the God we serve by paying our debts with great honor and haste.

How does this passage impact your life today?

1. How does this passage’s depiction of dealing with debt compare to the attitudes you see in our community and culture?

2. How do you prepare to give to the North Metro Mortgage Reduction Fund? Do you process it as a spiritual decision? What have you set aside for that purpose?

3. Who stands to be impacted by the manner in which we steward our debt? How can we best bring glory to God in this season at North Metro?

PRAYER TIME Pray that God would make North Metro exceedingly generous with regard to eradicating our debt. Pray that God would receive glory as a result of His people’s faithfulness in repaying what has been borrowed. Pray that the Kingdom of God would expand as a result of the manner in which we steward our resources.