IT PAYS TO BE A BLESSED PERSON

PSALM 112:1, 7-8 NKJ 
1 Praise the Lord! 
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, 
Who delights greatly in His commandments. 
 
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; 
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 
8 His heart is established; 
He will not be afraid, 
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. 

 The response to today's devotional title could easily be - no duh! The title sounds like an obvious fact. The very definition of blessed means benefits and advantages. But wait, there is a place we must go first. Who are the blessed? 

I know that we are blessed in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) But how do we make these blessings an actual reality in our lives here today?   

Verse one of this psalm gives us a big key. The blessed are those who have a reverential fear of the Lord. There is a genuine active respect for God that shows up in our lives. This fear of God governs our conduct and all aspects of our walk. It's more than a Sunday duty; it's a living relationship that acknowledges God as first place. A blessed person is one who fears God. And delights greatly in His commandments. This would mean a delight in knowing and doing God's word. Psalm one also defines who are the blessed and delighting in God's word was listed there also. 

Now with these two qualifications established, the rest of Psalm 112 defines what this blessed person looks like, citing many benefits of God's blessings. It's a marvelous psalm. 

In verses seven and eight, we see a big payoff for the blessed. Freedom from fear. The blessed person is not afraid of bad news because he is steady in his heart, trusting the Lord. His heart is established so there is no fear. Going back to verse one, we can see how this heart strength came about. God is revered above all, and His word is the foundation of beliefs and thoughts. The result is a strength and steadiness of heart that pushes fear out the door. Not living tormented by fear is such a blessing. It's hard to put a price on that benefit.   
 

APPLICATION: 

We talk a lot about what God has done for us in Christ and what God can do for us. It's also important to know what needs to be done on our end to qualify for blessings. Grace has freely given to us, now we must be in position to receive. God's grace provided our salvation, but we had to receive it for ourselves. The same principle applies to God's blessings. We have to receive. The great news is that we can, and it's worth the effort to adjust, change, renew our minds and seek God. There are big benefits to being blessed.   

PRAYER: 

Thank you, Father, for Your blessings in my life. Show me how to receive more that I may be a blessing to more.