Blessed
Today’s Verse:
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. ~Psalm 112:1
Psalm 112 is one of several psalms describing the blessed man. The word blessed means happy. Happy, in this sense, means totally blissful, peaceful, contented, and prosperous. I know many men who want to be blessed, but their idea is of someone who is wealthy and rich. Let us see the man God blesses and who fits the description of blessed.
This man is honorable.
In v. 1, he fears the Lord and greatly loves the commandments of the Lord. The outstanding mark of this man is that he loves the Lord, worships Him, pleases Him, and walks with Him. He is not honorable because men say he is but because God says he is. Like Enoch, he had this testimony that he pleased God. He is among small minority of men who put God first in their life.
This man is holy.
In vv. 3 and 6, his righteousness endures forever. In a society marked by a falling away, disrespect, and irreverence, a blessed man is righteous. He lives apart from the world. His values are the Word of God. He does right and not wrong. He is a man who is courteous, kind, and Christlike. He is consumed with God’s holiness in his life. He is separated, situated, and saturated in God and His Word (Psalm 1:1-3).
This man is honored.
"Wealth and riches shall be in his house." I believe this is speaking of literal wealth. It is not prosperity theology advocated by celebrity evangelists. Hard work, honesty, savings, and prudent investing are evident. God says that whatsoever a godly man does will prosper. This is not a guarantee that all godly men will have wealth and riches, but it does represent that God does not allow His seed to beg for bread.
This man has a heritage.
"His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed." His descendants follow in his steps in being hard-working high achievers. They make their mark on their generation. He leaves a lasting influence on future generations as a man who is spiritual and successful.
This man is a helper.
"He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous." He disperses to the poor and lends to others. He invests in other people’s lives. He helps the needy and disadvantaged. He is an almsgiver. He is upright in his dealings. He is a godly witness and fervent soulwinner. A blessed man is a blessing to others!
This man is helped.
He is helped of the Lord. He trusts in God for his life. Material blessings do not blind him or prevent him from living for God. He knows the just shall walk by faith. In times of darkness, God gives him light. He is helped in all his ways.
This man and his horn.
A horn represents power. His horn is exalted with honor. This man has God’s power in his purpose, his praying, and his personality. His resilience and victories can be traced to God’s power. When we add it all up, this man is blessed! This psalm is the testimony of the blessed man: is it your testimony as well?
Have a blessed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Hosea 8-14