Blessings for the Righteous

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Blessings for the Righteous

Date: Jun. 28, 2022

Passage

Psalm 112:1-10 (ESV)

1   Praise the LORD!
  Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
    who greatly delights in his commandments!
2   His offspring will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3   Wealth and riches are in his house,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4   Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
    he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5   It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
    who conducts his affairs with justice.
6   For the righteous will never be moved;
    he will be remembered forever.
7   He is not afraid of bad news;
    his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
8   His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
    until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9   He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever;
    his horn is exalted in honor.
10   The wicked man sees it and is angry;
    he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
    the desire of the wicked will perish!

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

For information on how the ESV can be quoted, please visit our permission site.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 112:6

For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.

The previous Psalm described the blessings that God pours out due to his own goodness. This one focuses on the blessings that come as the result of a righteous life. What happens to those who fear the Lord and take delight in his commands, striving to be gracious and compassionate, to be generous and lend freely, and to conduct their business honestly? We may think that such people will lose out in this world, but it is not so. All that they do will be blessed, and they will have light even in the darkness (4). We should know that the rewards of a holy life are real.

When we receive God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus, and then live trusting God, day by day, we can have real inner stability, not being shaken by bad news (6-8). We will be honored by God and by people as well. On the other hand, things will not go well in the end for the wicked. When people resort to crooked ways to get what they want, their longings will come to nothing (10). It is right to praise God for his fairness in dealing with people.

Prayer: Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus’ blood which gives us new power to live a righteous life. Help me never to doubt that an upright life is a blessed life.

One Word: One Word: The righteous will never be shaken.

Fallen Babylon

Revelation 18:1-24

Key Verse: 18:4

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

  “Come out of her, my people,
    lest you take part in her sins,
  lest you share in her plagues;

Today's Question

What does the third commandment require?

See answer and references