A verse in Psalm 112 was brought to my attention yesterday about my fear of the unknown in regards to the adoption. I read the whole Psalm though and have been mulling it over ever since. We all know I like formulas and lists and I couldn’t help make a few out of this psalm. Psalm 112 describes believers and the blessings they have. I saw two categories of descriptions. The first is a list descriptions of those who fear the Lord:
- Find great delight in his commands
- Gracious
- Compassionate
- Righteous
- Generous
- Lend freely
- Conduct affairs with justice
- Freely scatter gifts to the poor
And the second grouping of descriptions are ways in which these believers are blessed:
- Children will be mighty
- Wealth and riches in their houses
- Righteousness endures
- Good will come
- Never shaken
- Remembered forever
- No fear
- Secure hearts
- Lifted high in honor
- Wicked will be vexed
Although I was reading this in regard to my fear, the benefit of wealth caught my attention as I was talking to my mom recently about how we all have our different journeys and have many different experiences regarding finances. Do these verses guarantee riches if you are believer? I don’t think so. There is a commentary on this Psalm I read that has stuck with me in regard to the wealth and riches:
They shall be blessed with outward prosperity as far as is good for them: Wealth and riches shall be in the upright man’s house, not in his heart…He shall have wealth and riches, and yet shall keep up his religion, and in a prosperous condition shall still hold fast his integrity, which many, who kept it in the storm, throw off and let go in the sunshine. Then worldly prosperity is a blessing when it does not make men cool in their piety, but they still persevere in that; and when this endures in the family, and goes along with the wealth and riches, and the heirs of the father’s estate inherit his virtues too, that is a happy family indeed.
I also love how this commentary said it:
Temporal blessings follow the service of God, exceptions occurring only as they are seen by God to be inconsistent with those spiritual blessings which are better.
A previous pastor of mine would always say, “God gives you what you need, when you need it.” I think this wholly applies to this situation. If having wealth and riches would lead you astray from God, is it really a blessing? No. Wealth is then a weight. But can it be a blessing if our hearts are still bent toward God? Yes! If our hearts are bent toward God, then we see those actions from the first list…generosity, lending freely, scattering gifts to the poor. It’s a beautiful cycle, really. Again, that doesn’t guarantee wealth, but it is a case for wealth.
In either case, I cannot make it about the wealth or even about the lack of fear in my earthly circumstances. It’s solely about fearing and loving the Lord. I have to trust out of that, he will give me what I need when I need it. Furthermore, our eternal reward when all the rest of this fades away is what matters most.
Challenge for today: does your life reflect the qualities of those who fear the Lord?
Great post!
Thanks, Becky!
I love what your pastor said! God gives you what you need, when you need it. It’s simple yet profound. I’m trying to help my husband see that, so I’m going to use that line.