Psalm 37 - Faithful Giving

Psalm 37 – Faithful Giving

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

There is no doubt the Psalmist is talking either about money or some sort of currency. And I’m sure we’ve all seen both sides of this….I know a LONG list of people that I would consider generous givers. I have seen people give way more than I thought they had to give….because they believed in the cause.
There are philanthropists all over the US who give millions and millions of dollars to research and projects and causes that are all good things.
But what the Psalmist is NOT saying is that generous givers are righteous people….he is saying that righteous people give generously.
In the mid to late 80’s my dad and uncle had been very successful in Real Estate speculation. What that means is that they had foresight and the “Midas Touch” when it came to finding a good deal…and making it happen.
That whole time….my dad modeled generous giving for me. We were wealthy and I might argue now, that we lived a little extravagantly….but he was a faithful tither….even on all the money he made.
I’ve often thought…..with what I make…I’ve never had a problem tithing….but what if I make 5 million dollars on a deal, could I write that $500,000 check. I hope I get the chance.
The two of them were in a business venture called Tristar Development….and if you are thinking….”Tri” means 3….so who is the third. Well there was a man who at the time was the money man. His name was Mr. Hafez and he was from Lybia. Supposedly at the time, he was on Muammar Gaddafi’s hit list. He fled Lybia with his family and millions of dollars. He provided backing in the form of cash…and deep pockets, which the banks loved to see when lending money to Tri-star.
Well in the oil and real estate bust of the late 80’s Mr. Hafez decided he’d had enough, and he bailed, leaving my dad and uncle in multi-million dollars worth of debt…with really no means to pay it back.
It was here that I may have gained the most respect and admiration for both my dad and uncle. They decided that they would repay it all. They sold what they had to, went to the lenders, worked out deals and paid for years….to repay every penny, without ever considering bankruptcy. Well I’m sure it crossed their minds….but my dad always told me that, real men….repay their debts. It’s a biblical concept…and a lasting legacy that my father has instilled in me.
And last on a lighter note….although it was common practice to leverage what you had to buy more….and to an extent we do this when purchasing a home.…I also learned you don’t buy stuff you can’t afford. I’m pretty sure it’s biblical too….at least Dave Ramsey would agree….the borrower is slave to the lender….and you cannot serve two masters.