“It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.” Psalm 112:5-8
Devotional Thought For The Day
These are more “beatitudes” on the righteous, the one who confesses his sin to the LORD in repentance and integrity and who believes and trusts in God’s gracious forgiveness and mercy in Christ Jesus. Spending time with Jesus, by abiding in His Word, changes a person. God reveals Himself to us in His Word, and the one who is exposed to this revelation and has been blessed with genuine faith, begins to change. “We love because He first loved us.” [1 Jn. 4:19] Those changes are described in this psalm. The child of God “deals generously and lends,” especially to the poor and needy. He does so without expectation of gain; he is not “investing” but showing love, care, and compassion. He “conducts his affairs with justice,” that is, he is fair and honest in his dealings with others.
There are blessings, good consequences, for one whose love imitates the love of our heavenly Father [Matt. 5:43-48]. God alone can secure us as “immoveable” and God alone can perpetuate our memory. He has promised that the “works” of those who die in the LORD, in faith and trust in God, shall follow us into eternity and God’s heavenly kingdom. [Rev. 14:13] Likewise, faith in God’s great and gracious love for us gives us great strength and confidence for our life in this world. We don’t like “bad news,” and we will not be exempted from hearing “bad news,” but knowing God’s power and love we needn’t be fearful of bad news and we remain steadfast in heart even in the face of great evil. It is knowing God as He truly is, and trusting in Him, that enables us to remain firm in heart and to persevere in generosity and justness no matter what is happening around us.
The one who is blessed by such faith in God will ultimately “look in triumph on his adversaries.” Our adversaries may from time to time be able to inflict pain and damage upon us. And there are circumstances when we have to wait for a long time to see the downfall and demise of those who treacherously oppose us. We should not seek vengeance and we certainly must not repay evil for evil. So our faith is tested at times, and we are driven to prayer, with the result that our faith and trust in God is continuously strengthened. This is an immensely great blessing as well.
So the “righteous” person, the one who is justified by faith in Jesus Christ, is never really in jeopardy. On the contrary – those who assail, assault, and attack the righteous are imperiled. God will bring them down, and His dear people of faith will look in triumph on those who seek to destroy them. This often occurs even in this temporal world, but it will certainly be the reality in the life beyond this world. So we pray for our enemies, that they might come to repentance and faith and be spared the horror that is soon to descend upon them. Knowing God and trusting in Him, we are able to continue living with goodness and love, certain that we are ultimately safe and secure from the wretched plans of our enemies. So it was for the ancient prophets, so it was for the apostles of Jesus and the early Christians, and so it is for us today. May God make us firm in heart and bless us with ever greater trust in Him!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we face many threats in the world today, and because of the increase of iniquity and wickedness, our love may also grow cold. Grant us greater faith and trust in You, and greater courage and steadfastness, that we continue to be just, decent, kind, compassionate, and generous in our dealings with others. We seek to follow You, and to heed Your Word, and to accomplish all of the good works that You have foreordained for us. Grant us Your peace and joy even in the tribulation of this fallen world. Amen.