Tiny Devotional for RED Friday, 04-12-2023

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family who might drop by, it's RED Friday, so Remember Everyone Deployed.

The wicked man desires the booty* of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
Proverbs 12:12, NASB

*”net” is the literal translation of מָצוֹד (matsode), but the NASB substitutes the word “booty.” That term is archaic, but it, and “net,” both refer to the ill-gotten gains of thievery and other illicit activities. 

The wicked has unintentionally required a fairly complicated economic plan in order to get enough to eat. Someone else, or many people, have to produce twice as much as they need to live, in order for the wicked to prosper, or even survive. That forms the plot of at least three movies (7 Samurai, Magnificent 7, A Bug's Life), and numerous television shows. The wicked is a drain on the community, contributing nothing but fear.

The righteous, on the other hand, produces in excess, and it's the ROOT (שֶׁרֶשׁ , shehresh) that is the productive part. Consider any plant: above ground, there are parts that can produce fruit, but they are also at risk from wind and weather. Bugs chew on the leaves;  the branches can get broken off; a freeze can ruin the crop. The root, however, is safe, covered up below ground, and it provides the visible part of the plant with an anchor as well as a path for nutrients. In the case of vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes, it's the root itself that is the source of food, but whether it's a root vegetable or not, though, without solid roots, the plant cannot survive. 

And without the righteous, our society can't survive. Keep that in mind!

Peace be on your household.