1 Praise ye the LORD.
Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD,
That delighteth greatly in his commandments.
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth:
The generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house:
And his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously and lendeth;
He shall maintain his cause in judgement.
6 For he shall never be moved;
The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.
7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:
His heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid,
Until he see his desire upon his adversaries.
9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the needy;
His righteousness endureth for ever:
His horn shall be exalted with honour.
10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved;
He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away:
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
This psalm celebrates the promises of God in our lives. With a foundation of a fear in the Lord and a delight in his law, our life and generations are blessed by God. This psalm at once celebrates, teaches, promises and gives hope.
I like that we can look at the psalm through various lenses and see new ideas emerge. First, and simply, when we’re founded in a fear and respect of God and his word our day to day lives are blessed. With greater wisdom and understanding comes better decisions & desires. We see the fruit of our labors in healthier families and steadier lifestyles.
We can also consider the fulfillment of these promises in the great rest we have in our God. Only in heaven will we see the culmination we so earnestly seek. Earthly blessings from God can make our lives reliable, but in no way will this compare with the enduring presence of God’s righteousness.
Lastly, consider how these verses can be seen in light of the life of Jesus. Think about his ministry and care for the poor and lowly. How he gave life unsparingly to those he met. Think about the great reward he found in God and at God’s side. He lived this psalm for our encouragement and help.
Reflect on the charitable heart found in this psalm and find ways to make it part of your heart. God’s blessings are the reason as well as the way this can happen.
Source link
