Day 755: True happiness – Psalm 112

1-3 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures for ever.

4-6 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 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 for ever. 7-8 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.

9-10 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever; his horn is exalted in honour. The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish. Psalm 112 English Standard Version

What are the things that would make most people happy? For many it's a good marriage, a secure job, enough money to pay the bills, a pleasant neighbourhood and friends and family nearby. For others however it takes much more! Happiness for them is winning the lottery, being fabulously rich, being famous, perhaps even lots of physical relationships. The Bible uses a word that is far better than just 'being happy'. It uses the word 'blessed'. Verses 1-3 describe such a man. But what do they say is the path to such blessedness?

It’s a person who recognizes how awesome God is and so they deeply revere Him, and take joy in the ways He wants us to live our lives. For them, being right in God’s eyes is more important than the riches of this world. The surprising thing though is that choosing the right way to live often results in a measure of riches. Hard work and honesty bring their rewards. But there's another factor involved in experiencing God's blessing. Did you pick up something that was described in 5 different ways of such a person in vs 4-10?

It says they are merciful - generous - they lend - they distribute freely - and give to the poor. These are not people who selfishly gather wealth to live in splendour, but people who are aware of the needs of others and are ever ready to get involved and do what they can. The apostle Paul reminded Christians that “God loves a cheerful giver and is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it's written, 'He has distributed freely, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures for ever.'” (2 Corinthians 9:7-9)

But God's blessing isn’t limited to financial provision He might give someone. What are two other things mentioned in vs 4-6 that show how good it is to be blessed of God?

The writer says that: “Light dawns in the darkness for the upright.” Being righteous doesn't mean that dark days will never come upon a man or woman. Life can bring many hardships and troubles. But in such days God is able to cause light to break through. It might be through His word, or through a fellow believer. It might be through some change of circumstances.

The other thing the writer says of such a person is that: “They aren't afraid of bad news - their heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” Bad news is a big robber of people's happiness. Whether it's a business matter, or news of serious illness, it can bring a darkness that steals our joy. But a righteous person can trust in the Lord at such times and, says the writer, their heart will be steady and they will not be afraid.

Verses 9-10 point out how ungodly people can end up jealous of the blessing they see in the lives of God's people. God fearing people may not always realize that. They may feel so poor compared to wealthy people who care nothing for God. But they have the true riches of a relationship with a God who cares for them, and who will bring them to the blessedness of eternal life with Christ. There’s no happiness on earth that can compare with that. Indeed, blessed are those who fear the Lord, who take great delight in His commandments, and who have believed on Christ for salvation from sin.