Psalm 112

“Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing His commands.”
Psalm 112:1 (TLB)

Did you know that you can determine the measure of your own blessing?  God is good, and it’s His nature to bless us so that He may display His glory through us. God desires us to live a quality of life that has no other explanation but God clothing Himself with our redeemed humanity.  As we do, it attracts others to Him and gives us the opportunity to share His life with them.  You can live such a blessed life!

Psalm 112 offers both a description of a blessed life and a prescription for how to live one that is blessed beyond expression!  This Psalm is called a “Hallelujah” Psalm, which simply means “Praise the Lord.” Take a moment to meditate on this passage.  Note the characteristics of those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands.  Let them be descriptive of your life.

I love the way the Living Bible paraphrases this passage. Take a few moments to consider the benefits of such a blessed life in these 10 verses.

“1  Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing His commands.
2  His children shall be honored everywhere, for good men’s sons have a special heritage.
3  He himself shall be wealthy, and his good deeds will never be forgotten.
4  When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in. He is kind and merciful—
5  and all goes well for the generous man who conducts his business fairly.
6  Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God’s constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it.
7  He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him.
8  That is why he is not afraid but can calmly face his foes.
9  He gives generously to those in need. His deeds will never be forgotten. He shall have influence and honor.
10  Evil-minded men will be infuriated when they see all this; they will gnash their teeth in anger and slink away, their hopes thwarted.

The key to experiencing blessings on purpose is found in the first verse.  “Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing His commands.”   Do you fear God and trust in Him? Do you delight in doing His commands? It’s been said when you fear God, you will fear nothing else in the world, but if you don’t fear God, you will fear everything else. To fear God is to have a holy respect for Him and trust in His Sovereign power and control. Nothing is too great for His power or too small for His concern and care. When you fear God, you not only trust in Him but take great delight in doing His commands because you love Him!

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To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit https://kerryshook.org/blog.

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.