The good life
The “prosperity gospel” says we each deserve a Cadillac—to be claimed by “faith.” But the psalmist says life’s goodness is measured by God’s presence and power in your life, not the number of trinkets you own.
1 Praise Yahveh!
How blessed are those who revere Yahveh
and treasure his commandments.
2 Their descendants
attain important positions in the land
the children of God-seekers will be blessed.
3 Their family will have wealth and to spare
and their saving justice endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the dead of night
for those who live to please God—
who are gracious, compassionate, and just.
5 Good comes to those who lend freely
and do all their business fairly.
6 The just aren’t rocked by disaster
and their sterling reputation never fades.
7 They don’t live in fear of bad news
because their hearts are confident
trusting in Yahveh.
8 They’re unafraid, unfazed by threats
knowing they’ll see their enemies’ downfall.
9 Since they give liberally to the needy
and their saving justice endures forever
they gain lasting respect and influence.
10 The wicked get so mad on seeing this
they gnash their teeth in frustration
and all their dreams coming to nothing.
Like its pair, Psalm 111, this acrostic psalm gives the full view from its perspective. While Psalm 111 focuses on God’s side of the divine-human relationship, this psalm focuses on the goodness of life lived in reverence for God. The submissive believer views God’s commandments as a delight, not a burden, since they mark the path to both individual and communal wholeness.
This psalm starts and ends with the very same words as Psalm 1. In fact, Psalms 111-112 restate in Israel’s new post-exilic context many foundational truths found in Psalms 1-2, mirroring those early psalms in reverse. Surprisingly, Psalm 112 also applies to the devout believer things Psalm 111 says of God—especially, that their “saving justice endures forever.” Living by his values, believers are being transformed into the likeness of the God they worship.
Facing enemies and discouragement, post-exilic Israelites struggled to believe God was fully committed to them. The psalmist stresses their need to be totally committed to living graciously, generously, and justly in response to God’s gracious, generous, and just embrace of them. She calls them to believe it will one day be clear they’re on the winning side. She contrasts the richness of their lives in God with the frustrated existence of the self-seeking, whose dreams utterly fail them.
Lord, you invite me to a life without lack, as I share in the work you’re doing here. Help me not to focus on fleeting prosperity, but to live out of your generosity, knowing that what matters most is pleasing you. Strengthen my faith and make me gracious and just, like you are, Jesus. Amen.
In your free moments today, meditate on these words:
Light dawns in the dead of night
for those who live to please God—
who are gracious, compassionate, and just.
