“Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Psalm 112:1
We all want to be blessed by the Lord. When we rise in the morning, we thank Him for the day and ask Him to bless each step we take. We pray over our meals, asking Him to bless the food and give us the strength we need. We ask Him to bless our families and watch over them.
In this verse, the Lord presents two conditions we must meet for Him to bless us.
Number One: “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD.”
Many people are afraid of God. They view Him as someone in the heavens with a big stick in His hand, watching every move they make, ready to punish any time they step out of line. But that is not the kind of fear the Psalmist is describing. Fearing the Lord is recognizing Who He is and respecting His power. It is a feeling of awe and wonder when we realize how much He loves us and only wants what is best for our lives.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Number Two: “That delighteth greatly in his commandments.”
A child who realizes that his parents love him or her, will do their best to obey and please them. Although they may not always see the reasons behind what their parents expect of them, they submit to authority. God has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives, and we submit to His directions and guidance.
Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 40:8 “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”
What are the results of meeting these two conditions?
This week we will consider the rest of the Psalm for the answer to this question.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for loving us and showing us from your Word the way to know you and to become the person you want us to be. Direct our steps each day.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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