This psalm is also an acrostic poem, with each line starting with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
“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 forever. 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 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. He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!” (v1-10)
This psalm is titled “The Righteous Will Never Be Moved”, and the content aligns with that title. This is a huge encouragement to those of us (myself included) who may question whether or not a life of living sacrifice is worth-while (by living sacrifice I mean consistently dying to one’s own desires, and choosing to serve God rather than ourselves – we are called to sacrifice that which is important to the world, for that which is important to God).
The author encourages us that riches, blessing, joy, stability, safety, courage, and honor belong to those who live a life honoring to God. This is not a prosperity gospel – the blessings and riches the obedient receive are the spiritual kind, not the material kind. God does not promise to bless us with temporary wealth (though He does promise to meet our needs), He promises to bless us with His eternal glory and righteousness (His presence) which is far more valuable.
I want to encourage each of us today to continue following the path God lays before us – even if we lose everything by worldly definition, we gain everything by God’s definition. In whom do we trust? Which kingdom do we wish to help build – the temporal, or the eternal?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mt 6:19-21)
Father God, all praise, honor and glory be to You, the God whose almighty name triumphs over the darkness. May You continue to provide light to our feet and a lamp to our paths as we learn to walk in ways pleasing to You. May we seek only to please and obey You, not concerning ourselves with pleasing this world. May we learn to fully rely on You each step of the way, storing up eternal treasure in heaven for ourselves and for those whom You love. May Your glory be known throughout this world through the words of our mouths and the works of our hands. May our lives be a living sacrifice to You and You alone. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training