1)
Praise ye the LORD.
Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in
his commandments.
2)
His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the
generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3)
Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and
his righteousness endureth for ever.
4)
Unto the upright there ariseth
light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5)
A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide
his affairs with discretion.
6)
Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the
righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
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he devil makes it as hard as possible
for those who have committed themselves to the Lord to maintain a determination
to walk in uprightness. With the world becoming more-and-more carnal and self
being emphasized above all else, one is slowly brainwashed into believing that
being out-of-step with the world causes one to forfeit the good things in life.
Consequently, we are encouraged through education, advertising, the media in
general and all other communication to get as much as we can.
No matter how things may seem on the
surface, no matter what our friends or relatives may say; no matter what means
the devil may attempt to use to convince us, true blessings come only to the
upright in heart.
In the past, it has sometimes appeared
that the righteous were being left out while the unrighteous “flourished,” at
least. However, God has recently revealed enough of himself, His plan and His
glory that the righteous are now more determined than ever to remain that way.
He is showing us on a daily basis that He is determined to prove that
righteousness is the way to live. It is precisely because of this determination
that He will always be blessed.
In our scripture text, we find the
fundamental truth that man is blessed because he fears (or, reverences) the
Lord. Of course, this also opens the argument that it seems to be popular to
live life as one chooses. This is a prevailing theme of television shows,
movies and as stated earlier, education. However, this does not change the fact
that that which most feel makes them free, is in reality, that which binds
them.
In case you have yet to really
comprehend this message, we have been brought into salvation to promote the
program of the Lord. None of us have been brought in solely for our own
personal fulfillment, to find our niche in life, or to realize a dream. The
wondrous thing about our God, however, is that as we submit and dedicate
ourselves to fulfilling His will, He does all of these things for us. His
ultimate goal is that as He blesses us, we will realize that the testimony of
our blessings is, indeed, His and we will be moved to give Him the proper
glory.
The upright need never worry about
their reward or blessings. No matter how a situation may seem to be resolving
itself, we will always be the recipients of great blessings, for the Lord will
bless all appertaining to the upright. No part of our lives will be left out
and nothing concerning us will be forgotten.
Even though the Lord is so deep and
about so much more than physical and financial blessings alone, we still equate
Him with the mundane. That is, if we see someone financially blessed, we
automatically ascribe them spiritually. Not so. Financial blessings never have
been, and never will be, barometers of spirituality. They simply indicate that
somewhere at sometime, one has believed God.
This is not to say that the righteous
are not to prosper. In fact, in verse three, they are assured wealth and
riches. However, this is by virtue of the fact that they live righteously. We
need to live righteously so that this can be ours and we can be able to support
and participate in the ministry.
Yet another blessing of righteousness
is the revelation of the Lord. As we look to be more submitted, more dedicated,
more holy and more upright, He reveals more of Himself to us. Not only do we
show that we can “handle it,” but we can appreciate it as well.
Obviously, as we stand up for and on
the truth of salvation, we will be able to draw lost souls. As much as people
today may say against living righteously, the victorious life can never be
quieted, not ignored. In this way, our blessings are not only blessings to us,
but the greatest blessings that another can receive.
So, just exactly how are we to be
convincing in a world where many are departing from the faith and looking back
and saying it doesn’t work? How do we undo some of the damage that was done in
the past? We must begin to live our lives so that someone will see and know
that your God is a delivering God. We must show the world that our God can be
depended upon for everything—and that He is our everything.
No doubt, a lack of widespread
righteousness is also responsible for a seeming lack of miracles. Miracles the
Lord will perform when righteousness is exhibited include the blind being made
to see, the deaf being made to hear, the lame being made whole, the possessed
delivered, and the sick made well. One would think that the prospect of making
these benefits available to others would cheer the heart of the saint of God.
Uprightness and consequent blessings
are possible only if one can be controlled by the Lord. To be controlled, one
must want to be controlled and be willing to be submissive.
Only “team players” are going to be a
part of the “Last Days Ministry,” for the thrust of God’s ministry is to use
our fleeting time on earth to save souls. This requires a concerted, selfless
effort. Time for training and winning is short, so drastic measures must be
adopted.
As a people infused with the same Power
that created all, we must begin to stand on the rights conferred with the
position. We are neither weak, powerless nor helpless.
Rather, we have been saved to be able to stand—not timidly, but with power and
authority. We are delivered and are set free, so the God we serve is worthy of
all trust and all praise.
If you are upright before the Lord, all
that you must do to be blessed is accept who you
are in Him. Receiving is as easy as believing. Blessings for the righteous
are not just a one-time thing. We have assurance from the Scripture that the
everlastingly righteous will never be cut off, but rather, will enjoy “everlasting
remembrance.” Any promise from the Lord is a promise you can count on.