Showing posts with label Psalm 112. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 112. Show all posts

Monday, November 21, 2011

Psalm 112 ~ A Life Well-Lived with Yahweh


A personal confession from the Psalms.

A Life Well-Lived with Yahweh ~ Psalm 112

I live in awe of Yahweh;
I love His instruction
And delight in His ways.
O the happiness!

My descendants will be mighty in the land.
My children, and their children,
And their children’s children
Will all be blessed,
Empowered by heaven,
Wealth and riches in our houses.
We walk with Yahweh
And that changes the world,
Now and forever.

We will always have
Light in the darkness.
We will be gracious,
Full of compassion and tenderness.
We will show favor
And lend help to those in need,
And good will come back to us.
We will conduct all our affairs
With sound judgment and integrity.

We will not be shaken by anything;
Yahweh will remember us
And take care of us.
We will not be afraid
When bad news is in the air;
Our hearts are firmly established,
Trusting in Yahweh.
We will not fear the enemy;
We are sustained by the peace of Yahweh.
Nothing will be missing,
Nothing will be broken;
All will be restored, made whole,
And we will rejoice in the victory.

We will give freely to those in need,
For we will always have more than enough
For every good work.
It will show the goodness of Yahweh
And bring praise to His name.*
Our influence and honor will increase
And the effect of walking with Yahweh
Will continue to make us a blessing to others.

* “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work … For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you” (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12-14).

See also Divine Portrait of Prosperity: Psalm 112, The Happiness of Living in Awe of God, The Rightness Effect and Light in the Darkness.



Personal Confessions from the Psalms
Personal Confessions from the Psalms
Prayers and Affirmations for a Life of Faith, Happiness and Awe in God
by Jeff Doles

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Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Light in the Darkness

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness.
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
(Psalm 112:4)

No matter how dark things may seem, how intractable the economy may appear, how troublesome the times may look, there is always light for the upright. Who are the upright? The Hebrew word here refers to what is straight, level, right, pleasing, correct, straightforward, just, fitting or proper. It is often used of those who do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

There are many who do what is right in their own eyes, but these are not commended before God. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12 and repeated again at Proverbs 16:25). No, the psalm writer is talking about those who do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh: “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments” (Psalm 112:1). This psalm tells about what the man who fears Yahweh looks like and what the blessing of Yahweh looks like in his life (see Divine Portrait of Prosperity: Psalm 112). He is gracious, full of compassion and righteous (he keeps covenant and conducts himself in a way that is just). That is just the way Yahweh is described in Psalm 116:5: “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful.”

The upright always have light in the darkness. This does not mean that darkness will never enter his life; indeed, darkness may be all around him. But God gives him light in the midst of it so he can see and know the blessing of God. Remember the ninth plague that came on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt when he refused to let the children of Israel go?
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 10:21-23)
Darkness — a thick darkness that could be felt! — covered all the land of Egypt so no one could see or do anything. It was for them a fearful darkness. No so for the people of God: “But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” That is always God’s way with His people. In the Old Testament, and during a dark time, the prophet Isaiah announced a new day that was coming.
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the LORD will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
(Isaiah 60:1-3)
In the New Testament, this light is revealed. “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14). “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). He is “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1: 9). “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5).

There is nothing in the darkness or of the darkness that can harm those who belong to God through faith in Jesus the Messiah. In Him we are made right with God. In Him, we are empowered by the Spirit of God to live out the life of Jesus in the world. Even in the darkness of the world, the light arises for us and the glory of the Lord shines on us. What the psalm writer says of the upright is for all who will take hold of it by faith:
Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is established;
He will not be afraid.
(Psalm 112:6-8)
Do not be shaken or be afraid of the dark. Put your trust in God; light will arise.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Divine Portrait of Prosperity: Psalm 112

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
(Psalm 112:1)
“Blessed” speaks of great happiness and bliss. What is the cause of such an exceedingly happy condition? The fear of the Lord, and delighting in His commandments.

The fear of the Lord speaks of living in supreme awe of Him. It is loving what He loves and hating what He hates. It is recognizing that His displeasure is greatly to be avoided but His favor is greatly to be desired. To delight in something is to have a desire for it, to take pleasure in it. Here, it is modified by the word “greatly,” which speaks of exceeding abundance, completeness, and diligence. This delight, desire and pleasure is wholehearted and intense. When we start to understand how awesome God is, how great His love and how marvelous His favor, we begin to take intense pleasure in His ways — and that leads to bliss, as this psalm describes.

What does the fear of the Lord look like in the everyday life of a person who has it?
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion. (vv. 4-5)

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (v. 7)

He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor. (v. 9)
  • He has received grace and favor from the Lord, so he shows grace and favor to others.
  • He has experienced compassion and mercy from God, so he knows how to extend compassion and mercy to others.
  • He is not stingy with what is his, but generously lends to others.
  • He shows good judgment in all his dealings. The HCSB has, “conducts his business fairly.” He makes sound business decisions that are equitable and promote what is good.
  • His trust is in the Lord and he lets that settle all the worries and concerns of his heart.
  • He not only lends freely, He gives generously to the poor. The Hebrew for “disperse” literally means to scatter. He understands the paradox of Proverbs 11:24, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.”
That’s a short sketch of how the fear of the Lord gets lived out. Now, let’s take a brief look at what the prosperity of such a person looks like.
  • “His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed’ (v. 2). His descendants will receive a spiritual inheritance that, if they will follow it, will lead them into a life of blessing, abundance and significance.
  • “Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (v. 3). Because he is making good decisions and doing what is right, which leads to prosperity, prosperity will fill his house. The results of living well will endure for the next generations. As Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.”
  • “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness” (v. 4). This does not mean that he will never have to go through dark times (or poor economies), but that when he does, there will light to lead him through it to the other side. The surrounding darkness will not cause him to fear because he is focused on the light that comes from the Lord.
  • “Good will come to a man who lends generously” (v. 5, HCSB). Because he does what is good, goodness comes back to him. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. Jesus put it this way, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). This is not just about money, as some think, but about how we deal with each other in general: When we show goodness to others, it will come back around to us.
  • “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance” (v. 6). Living in awe of God brings him into a place of stability. There may be earthquakes, but when the dust clears, he will still be standing. He will have a testimony and the significance of his life will remain.
  • “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (v. 7). Bad news, failing economies, and financial disasters will not strike fear in him because his life and prosperity — his blessing — is founded upon God. His focus and trust are in the Lord.
  • “His heart is established; he will not be afraid until he sees his desire upon his enemies” (v. 8; the HCSB has, “In the end he will look in triumph on his foes”). He does not focus his heart on the adversarial circumstances that surround him, but on the Lord. He does not fear when leaders forecast gloom or threaten catastrophe. The peace of his heart is settled on God and nothing can disturb the calm state of his soul.
  • “His righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor” (v. 9). His influence and honor will increase and the effect of living God’s way will continue to make him a blessing to others.
  • “The wicked will see it and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish” (v. 10). The wicked are those who are at odds with God’s way of doing things. Great blessing will come to those who live in awe of Him and walk in His ways, but for the wicked there is only grief, despair and frustration of purpose. They will fade away, therefore do not let your heart be troubled by them.
The psalm writer gives us just some of what it means to live in awe and delight of God and to know His prosperity. Jesus puts it all very succinctly: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

The blessing of a divinely peaceful and prosperous life follows from living in awe of the Lord and walking in His ways.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

How to Have a Blessed Economy

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
(Psalm 112:1)
“Blessed” speaks of great happiness and bliss. What is the cause of such an exceedingly happy condition? The fear of the Lord, and delighting in His commandments.

The fear of the Lord speaks of living in supreme awe of Him. It is loving what He loves and hating what He hates. It is recognizing that His displeasure is greatly to be avoided but His favor is greatly to be desired. To delight in something is to have a desire for it, to take pleasure in it. Here, it is modified by the word “greatly,” which speaks of exceeding abundance, completeness, and diligence. This delight, desire and pleasure is wholehearted and intense. When we start to understand how awesome God is, how great His love and how marvelous His favor, we begin to take intense pleasure in His ways — and that leads to bliss, as this psalm describes.

What does the fear of the Lord look like in the everyday life of a person who has it?
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion. (vv. 4-5)
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (v. 7)
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor. (v. 9)
  • He has received grace and favor from the Lord, so he shows grace and favor to others.
  • He has experienced compassion and mercy from God, so he knows how to extend compassion and mercy to others.
  • He is not stingy with what is his, but generously lends to others.
  • He shows good judgment in all his dealings. The HCSB has, “conducts his business fairly.” He makes sound business decisions that are equitable and promote what is good.
  • His trust is in the Lord and he lets that settle all the worries and concerns of his heart.
  • He not only lends freely, He gives generously to the poor. The Hebrew for “disperse” literally means to scatter. He understands the paradox of Proverbs 11:24, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.”
That’s a short sketch of how the fear of the Lord gets lived out. Now, let’s take a brief look at what the blessing — the bliss — of such a person looks like.
  • “His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed’ (v. 2). His descendants will receive a spiritual inheritance that, if they will follow it, will lead them into a life of blessing, abundance and significance.
  • “Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (v. 3). Because he is making good decisions and doing what is right, which leads to prosperity, prosperity will fill his house. The results of living well will endure for the next generations. As Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.”
  • “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness” (v. 4). This does not mean that he will never have to go through dark times (or poor economies), but that when he does, there will light to lead him through it to the other side. The surrounding darkness will not cause him to fear because he is focused on the light that comes from the Lord.
  • “Good will come to a man who lends generously” (v. 5, HCSB). Because he does what is good, goodness comes back to him. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. Jesus put it this way, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). This is not just about money, as some think, but about how we deal with each other in general: When we show goodness to others, it will come back around to us.
  • “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance” (v. 6). Living in awe of God brings him into a place of stability. There may be earthquakes, but when the dust clears, he will still be standing. He will have a testimony and the significance of his life will remain.
  • “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD” (v. 7). Bad news, failing economies, and financial disasters will not strike fear in him because his life and prosperity — his blessing — is founded upon God. His focus and trust are in the Lord.
  • “His heart is established; he will not be afraid until he sees his desire upon his enemies” (v. 8; the HCSB has, “In the end he will look in triumph on his foes”). He does not focus his heart on the adversarial circumstances that surround him, but on the Lord. He does not fear when leaders forecast gloom or threaten catastrophe. The peace of his heart is settled on God and nothing can disturb the calm state of his soul.
  • “His righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor” (v. 9). His influence and honor will increase and the effect of living God’s way will continue to make him a blessing to others.
  • “The wicked will see it and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish” (v. 10). The wicked are those who are at odds with God’s way of doing things. Great blessing will come to those who live in awe of Him and walk in His ways, but for the wicked there is only grief, despair and frustration of purpose. They will fade away, therefore do not let your heart be troubled by them.
The psalm writer gives us just some of what it means to live in awe and delight of God and to know His blessing. Jesus puts it all very succinctly: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

When you live in the fear of the Lord you do not have to fear anything else. Live your life in awe of Him and follow His ways. Let these be the economic indicators of your life, and you will not be troubled by the current panic in the world — you will know the blessing.

Pray for our country, that God will raise up godly leaders who will live in the fear and awe of Him, to love what He loves, hate what He hates, and do what is wise and good. Then the whole nation can enjoy a blessed economy.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Generation of the Righteous

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD.
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
(Psalm 112:1-2)
The purpose of God in the world reaches out to nations and down through generations. Those who are blessed by the Lord, who delight in His commandments and walk in His ways, leave a great legacy for their children. The blessing we have through faith in Jesus Christ is not just for us, it is for our children — it is their inheritance, if they also will lay hold of it by faith. And it is not just for our children but for all the nations of the earth as our children walk it out in the world.
And your descendants will inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.
(Isaiah 54:2-3)
This is the same blessing God promised Abraham:
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
(Genesis 12:2-3)
Notice the word “families.” It is a very powerful one because it is through families that God does His best work. It is through the family of Abraham that blessing comes to all the families of the earth. The blessing from in Abraham’s family, from one generation to the next, until it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus went to the cross to deliver us from the curse so that the blessing of Abraham might come upon all, even those not of Abraham’s house (Galatians 3:13-14). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we may now all receive the promise God made in the beginning.

Ever since, the blessing of Abraham has come upon more and more people, family to family, nation to nation, generation after generation. God’s purpose is increasingly being fulfilled until it will one day appear in all its glory. The kingdom of God is coming; the will of God is being done more and more on earth as in heaven.

God is doing it through the influence of fathers, family and inheritance. The Philippian jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:30-31). Through faith, this Philippian father became the gateway for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessing of Abraham to come upon his household; they all believed and were baptized.

The older I get, the more I become aware of God’s workings through the generations. I received the inheritance of faith from my fathers, embraced the Lord Jesus for myself and now I leave a legacy for my children and my children’s children — indeed, for all my descendents. My focus has sharpened and I pray daily for my children, claiming the promise for them. My descendants will be mighty in the land and their generations will be blessed. They will inherit that nations and make the desolate cities inhabited. They will be a blessing to many others in fulfillment continual fulfillment of the promise God gave Father Abraham.
Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)
How happy are those who live in awe of God, trust in His Word and walk in His ways. This great joy is for all their descendants, too, as many as will take hold of it by faith in Jesus Christ. For the blessing of Abraham has come to their house.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Rightness Effect

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness will endure forever.
(Psalm 112:1-3)
Righteousness endures. But what is righteousness? People often think of it in religious terms, as pious behaviors, devout observances of special holy days, carefully segregated from normal, everyday life. But it is really very simple: Righteousness is about being in proper relationship with God and doing what is right. It is rightness.

Rightness endures. Whenever we do what is right, it is never wasted, and it makes a lasting change in the world. Perhaps you have seen the TV ads for Liberty Mutual, where one person performs an act of kindness (let’s not call it random, but deliberate) for a stranger, who then shows kindness to another. That simple deed is witnessed by a third who becomes more mindful to do the same. A chain of “doing the right thing” follows until it eventually comes back around to the first person. (Here is ad 1, “Half Acre,” and ad 2, “The Part Where You Let Go.”)

It is kind of like chaos theory in science, which speaks of the unpredictability of certain changes and events, such as weather patterns and other systems, because of “sensitive dependence upon initial conditions.” The classic paradigm, also known as the Butterfly Effect, is that the beating of a butterfly’s wings in Beijing affects the weather over New York City. In other words, small changes can make big differences. In the same way, seemingly small acts of doing what is right can change the world.

The man in this psalm is one who lives in awe of God and has a burning passion for pleasing Him by doing what is right. It changes him, but not him only. His children are influenced by it and they become mighty on earth. No only are his descendants blessed, they become a blessing to others. Good things follow, for he sows a seed of rightness and reaps a harvest of prosperity. In that prosperity is seed for doing more good.

Paul reminds us, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). And so it is with this man. He is a good man who deals graciously and lends; he guides his affairs with a proper judgment and divine wisdom (Psalm 112:5).
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His rightness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
(Psalm 112:9)
The good that comes from living in awe of God and doing what is right never ends. Rightness endures forever.

Friday, May 18, 2007

The Happiness of Living in Awe of God

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
(Psalm 112:1)
God is not a terrorist, and the fear of the LORD is not about torment. It is actually the key to deep and abiding happiness. Instead of “fear,” think of “awe.” Here is how I think of it: fear of the LORD — to live in absolute awe of God, to love what He loves and hate what He hates, to treasure His favor above all things and avoid His displeasure at all costs, to take pleasure in His word, His will, His ways and His works and to honor them in everything you do.

Notice how the Bible speaks of it in Psalm 112. But first, understand that the psalms are written in the form of Hebrew poetry. This poetry does not feature the rhyming of words. Rather, it uses a parallelism where the thought of the second line of a verse parallels the thought of the first, either restating it in synonymous language or elaborates on it. With Hebrew parallelism in mind, consider what Psalm 112:1 tells us about the fear of the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
Here we see that to fear the LORD is to delight greatly in His commandments. The Hebrew word for “delight” is the same one we find in Psalm 1:2, “His delight is in the law of the LORD.” It means to incline towards, take great pleasure in, to look forward to in anticipation, to enjoy something a wonderful, mouth-watering delicacy.

The commandments of God are the particular elements of His torah. Often translated as “law,” the word torah can just as well be translated “instruction.” God’s laws and commandments are not given to us as difficult, death-dealing burdens, but as wise, life-giving directions. When we live in the awe and wonder of God, His Word leads us in the path of life, prosperity — and happiness. See how the psalm writer describe it:
  • His descendants will be blessed, and mighty on earth (v. 2). The word for “blessed” here is barak and means to be empowered by heaven.
  • Wealth and riches will be in his house (v. 3).
  • The effects of his right living will endure (v. 3).
  • He will have light even in the dark times of life (v. 4).
  • His heart will be gracious, and full of deep compassion and tender affection (v. 4), just as God is (Psalm 111:4).
  • He will show favor and lend to those in need. He will have a soft heart, but not a soft head, because he will possess discretion and good judgment (v. 5).
  • Whatever may happen, he will not be shaken out by it, but will be able to remain stable (v. 6).
  • He will be well-remembered by all those whose lives he touches (v. 6).
  • When bad news is in the air, he will not be afraid, because he trusts in the LORD (v. 7). The word for “afraid” here is the same word for the “fear” of the LORD. When we live in awe of God, we do not have to be terrified by anything else.
  • His heart shall be sustained with the peace of God, and he will not be afraid of his enemies, but will rejoice in victory over them (v. 8).
  • He will have more than enough to meet all his needs, and plenty more besides for every good work (v. 9, see also 2 Corinthians 9:8-9).
  • He will give generously and consistently, and it will not be wasted, but will extend his influence for righteousness (v. 9)
  • His success and prosperity will confound the desires of the enemy (v. 10)
The author of Psalm 128 echoes these things:
Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
When you eat the labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
[barak, empowered by heaven]
Who fears the LORD.
(Psalm 128:1-4)
That’s the good life! It is the happiness that comes from living in awe of God and delighting in His ways.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Living in Awe of God

Holy and awesome is His name.
(Psalm 111:9)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
A good understanding have all those who keep His commandments.
(Psalm 111:10)
The Hebrew words for “awesome” and “fear” have the same root. This fear of the LORD is double-edged: For those who are opposed to God and His ways, it is abject terror, and leads only to judgment and destruction. But for those who repent and turn to Him, the fear of the LORD is the recognition of His awesome majesty. It is to stand in awe of God, and that is the beginning of wisdom. From it follows insight, understanding and skill for living. This is seen in the next line of verse 10:
A good understanding have all those who keep His commandments.
The Hebrew word for “understanding” refers to the kind of knowledge that leads to success. The word for “keep” means to do. There are no Hebrew words behind the phrase “His commandments” in this verse; it was added by the translators to aid our understanding. The sense of this line in the Hebrew is that those who do according to the fear of the LORD have a good understanding about life.

But keeping the commandments of God is certainly an appropriate response to the awe of God. In fact, it appears in the first verse of the very next psalm:
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights in His commandments.
(Psalm 112:1)
Living in awe of the LORD and keeping His commandments leads to happiness and well-being, which is what the Hebrew word used here for “blessed” means. The remainder of Psalm 112 describes the kind of life that is available for all who honor the majesty of God and walk in His ways:
  • His descendants will be blessed, and mighty on earth (v. 2).
  • Wealth and riches will be in his house (v. 3).
  • The effects of his right living will endure (v. 3).
  • He will have light even in the dark times of life (v. 4).
  • His heart will be gracious, and full of deep compassion and tender affection (v. 4), just as God is (Psalm 111:4).
  • He will show favor and lend to those in need. He will have a soft heart, but not a soft head, because he will possess discretion and good judgment (v. 5).
  • Whatever may happen, he will not be shaken out by, but will be able to remain stable (v. 6).
  • He will be well-remembered by all those whose lives he touches (v. 6).
  • When bad news is in the air, he will not be afraid, because he trusts in the LORD (v. 7). The word for “afraid” here is the same word for the “fear” of the LORD. When we live in awe of God, we do not have to be terrified by anything else.
  • His heart shall be sustained with the peace of God, and he will not be afraid of his enemies, but will rejoice in victory over them (v. 8).
  • He will have more than enough to meet all his needs, and plenty more besides for every good work (v. 9, see also 2 Corinthians 9:8-9).
  • He will give generously and consistently, and it will not be wasted, but will extend his influence for righteousness (v. 9)
  • His success and prosperity will confound the desires of the enemy (v. 10)
Living in awe of God is the beginning of a wise, happy and successful life.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

The Established, Fearless Heart

He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
  His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is established
  He will not be afraid,
  Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
(Psalm 112:7-8)
Just who is the psalm writer talking about, anyway? Whoever trusts in the Lord. We see this in verse 1:

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who delights greatly in His commandments.
Now, the heart is the core of your being, the center of who you are. Is your heart restless and unsettled? Is it fearful or confused? The fear of the LORD will establish your heart, that is, bring stability, rest and peace to the center of your being.

What is the fear of the LORD? It is not the fear that comes from the world, a fear that torments. The fear of the LORD is to live in absolute awe of Him, to love what He loves and hate what He hates, to treasure His favor above all things and avoid His displeasure at all costs, to take pleasure in His Word, His will, His ways and His works and honor them in everything you do. It is to love and trust Him. This is the fear that sets you free.

When your heart is centered on the Lord, it is established by Him, and nothing can disturb your peace. Bad news may surround you, but you will not be afraid of it, unless you release your focus.

Peter walked on water, even through stormy wind and waves, as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. When he let the surrounding circumstances fill his eyes, his thoughts and his heart, he immediately began to sink. When he cried out to Jesus, letting Him become the focus again, he was lifted up again.

You see, the problem is not about the evil tidings that continually crop up around us. Those have been around ever since the Fall. The real problem is the orientation of the heart. Settle your heart completely on the Lord, which is a matter of loving and trusting Him, and you can settle the matter of fear. Oh, there may be demonic influences attached to your fear, no doubt. But these are actually undermined by love and faith, and a simple word of command will dismiss them.

Perfected love — the intimate relationship with God where His love and peace rule and reign in you heart—casts out fear.

God is calling you to love and trust Him for all He’s worth (which is infinite). That’s why Jesus came, to reconcile you to the Father. When you receive new life in Him, through faith in Jesus Christ, and let the heart of the Father settle into your heart, filling it to overflowing, there will be no room for fear. Your heart will be established in Him.