Psalm 37:21-24 - April 25, 2009

Ps 37:21-24 "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 cut off. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." NIV

A man’s heart is revealed by how he relates to money! The scriptures teach that where a man’s treasure is there his heart is. The way that we respond to the existence of our own needs and wants as well as the needs and wants of others demonstrates trust in God, fear of lack, selfishness, compassion and so much more. The underlying principle concerning money and possessions that is revealed throughout all of the pages of scripture is that we are only stewards of that which belongs to the Lord. In Hag 2:8 the Lord tells us “the silver is mine and the gold is mine," declares the LORD Almighty. And in Deut 8:17-18 He warns us, “you may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” So if the gold and silver belong to the Lord and the ability to produce wealth comes from Him then everything that we have comes from the Lord.
We are not owners but are called to responsibly care for that which has been entrusted to us in a way that advances God’s purposes and reflects God’s values system. We either live with an open heart and an open hand or we live with a closed heart and a closed hand. If we rightly understand God’s ways and have embraced His Lordship and ownership of all things then we relate to our finances as tools to serve His purposes. We treat all that we have as His investment in us; first for the meeting of our own needs and the needs of our families, but it is equally important to remember that He has entrusted us with resources as a means to partner with Him in displaying His power and His kingdom, His compassion and His purposes. Those who have chosen to live for the Lord and accept His gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ relate to wealth more and more as an opportunity to display God and less and less as a means to advance their own personal comfort.
David further identifies the distinction that God views each man’s ways and relates to them differently from one another. God’s dealings with man are not universally the same. He responds to each one of us according to our ways. In Psalm 37 David captures the principle that our ways before God determine His response to us. The man whose ways delight the Lord lives under His blessings and God makes His way sure and firm. Another man lives with a closed heart and the Lord curses His ways and though this man may walk for a season in prosperous circumstances, in the end the scriptures declare that he will be cut off. In Daniel chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar was judged by the Lord and stripped of not only his wealth and power, but his sanity to teach him and the generations that would follow that it was the Lord not his own wisdom and abilities that had raised him up to be king and this same Lord could remove the hand of blessing at any time. The king was warned and given a season to repent but when he neglected this call to turn from his pride God’s judgment came. Choose today to live with an open heart towards the needs of others and the needs of God’s purposes and as a faithful steward of all that the Lord has entrusted to you and you will live under
the hand of blessing.