January 23
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PSALM 112- THE BLESSINGS OF THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD
Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!
– Psalm 112:1-10
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This psalm is categorized as a wisdom psalm this is a companion to psalm 111.This song focuses on the moral character of the faithful, and on how such loyal people are blessings to themselves and also to others as well. David’s psalms always described the faithful servants of God as those who take much delight in His laws. That was also mentioned in Psalms 1 and 111. David describes the blessings and promises to those who fear the Lord:
• His offspring will be blessed and powerful in his land
• Wealth and riches he will acquire
• His righteousness will endure forever
• He will never live in darkness but always in the light
• He will be gracious, merciful, generous and conducts his affairs justly
• He is not fearful of bad news and has a firm heart for he trusts the Lord always
What a blessing to know that one will be showered with these things when one reveres the Lord your God. Just like in Psalm 1, David ends this song with a comparison to the wicked. In verse 10, he describes the wicked seething with envy and anger on the blessings that the righteous man receives. The last verses of Psalm 1 and this psalm speak of the destruction of the wicked. They will be annihilated.
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REFLECTION
• Which among the promises listed in this psalm have you been experiencing already as a child of God? Why do you think you still lack some?