Psalm 112:1-9 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 112:1-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments.
Verse 2Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Verse 3Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
Verse 4They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
Verse 5It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Verse 6For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
Verse 7They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Verse 8Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Verse 9They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
Devotion
My youngest grandson is in second grade. He loves his teacher. He enjoys his classmates, and already reads the morning paper, especially the sports section. It was natural for me to ask him, therefore, "How is school going? Is it time for school conferences again, and receiving your grades?"
"No," he quietly replied. "We already had that some time ago." He was about to move on to other subjects when his mother interjected, "Why don't you tell Grandpa about the award you received last week?"
His voice was confident but hardly audible, "I received the 'student of the month' award." "Wow," I replied, "That is great! What did you do to earn that honor? Was it because you are such a good reader?" "No." "Well was it because you are so good in math?" "No." "Well how did you win the honor?" "My teacher said that it was because I listened to all the teachers, that I was nice to my classmates, that I was a model student. It was about my character."
My grandson isn't like his grandpa, and feels uncomfortable talking about his awards. But, I probed further, "What was the prize or award for being the 'student of the month?'" "I was sent to the principal's office." I decided to drop the subject, because being sent to the principal's office was not my idea of a prize that I ever looked forward to in second grade.
My grandson's award reminds me of the award that the Psalmist is giving to those who are gathered for worship. "Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord. They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous." The Psalmist sends the worshipers to the Principal's office. And the Principal embraces them for reflecting so well on His office.
Prayer
Father in Heaven, I want to be sent to your office to be embraced. But, send Jesus to come with me, as I really don’t deserve any award on my own. Amen