Psalm 112:1

Psalm 112:1

Blessed are those who fear the Lord

As we noted, in the introduction to Psalm 111, that Psalm used familiar language to exalt the character and name of our God. Conversely, Psalm 112 expresses the effects of God’s goodness and love for His people, it is a summary of all His blessings to us. So, the first of these Psalms point us heavenwards and the next one relates the blessings that flow earthwards for those who trust and obey their God. Those who obey God’s commands and who cherish His words, who love Him and exalt Him, they are the truly blessed ones, as we shall see. 

 

V1        Psalm 150 uses the expression “praise the Lord” 13 times in just 6 verses! The Hebrew word is, of course, “Hallelujah.” It’s an expression of wonder, awe, amazement, joy and appreciation that should feature regularly in our conversations and our prayers. The Lord is to be praised, at all times, in every situation, for everything, that comes from His hand. If only Christians said “Hallelujah” as often as non-believers blasphemed the name of the Lord! 

Note that those who fear the Lord are blessed. Blessing can come from “out of the blue” on the unsuspecting but, more often than not, it is earned! If we want the Lord to bless us, then we should honour and respect Him. If we long for His blessing, then we should trust in Him and in His will for us. If we desire more of God’s blessing, then we must be willing to obey His commands. Yes, He has blessed us abundantly and He will always do so, but the word “blessed” literally describes contentment or happiness, we cannot expect to feel this way and ignore and rebel against our Creator and Father. We can have all of the benefits of living in this world, we can be prosperous and successful, but these things do not necessarily bring contentment. God’s blessing involves our knowing that we live under His protection and care and that nothing that happens to us is random or unseen. He is our guardian and our provider and thus we are incredibly blessed. 

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