Psalm 112: 1 “Praise the Lord. How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.”
I was spending my quiet time this morning in my office preparing to preach a sermon on the Sabbath after Thanksgiving when I came upon this gem of a Psalm. Please take the time to read it right now because it is God’s promise to His children. It starts out with the promise of joy to those who ‘fear’ or give respect to God and delight in obeying Him. It always amazes me when people tell me that the Bible is outdated or too hard to understand. I find it to be an amazing manual for a wonderful life. Just like I read the instruction manual when I buy a new car or appliance, I read my Creator’s instruction manual for an abundant life to find out how to get through my days.
As you read further in this psalm you will find some promises that will make you want to shout for joy. To those who are obedient to God’s law there is the promise of success for their children, wealth, and good deeds that will last forever. Light will shine on their lives and enable them to live generously, compassionately, and righteously. Good will come to them when they lend generously and conduct their business fairly. They will not be overcome by evil and they won’t have to live in fear because God will care for them. This means they can live confidently and fearlessly and face their foes in triumph.
It again mentions sharing freely and that their good deeds will be remembered forever. I have to believe that since this was mentioned twice this must be especially important. I don’t know about you but I have found one of the greatest joys in life to be when I can share the blessings God has given me with others. I find it interesting that after mentioning this twice it goes on to say that they will have influence and honor. The implication is that our sharing and good deeds will result in honor and influence. In our world today we need leaders who get their joy in life by doing good deeds and sharing their blessings. I don’t know about you but I want to be that kind of woman in my community!
The psalm concludes with the fact that the wicked will see the blessings of God on His obedient children and they will be infuriated and grind their teeth in anger, slinking away with their hopes thwarted!
Who do you want to be today? A person through whom God pours a river of blessings on others or the one standing outside of the path of blessing watching others get the joy and favor that comes from obedience to God. I know which one I am choosing. Why don’t you join me today in rereading Psalm 112 and asking God to help you to follow His commands to be a faithful and generous steward of all He has entrusted to you. I know from experience that you can count on Him to help you be obedient to Him. Just ask Him today to take over and help you to do whatever He asks you to do and your life too can be filled with joy and delight.
