Finding Light in The Lord

Psalm 112:1-4

“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who finds delight in his commands. His children 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. Even in the darkness, light dawns the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”
 
                Finding the Light of the Lord each day is as necessary for our spiritual growth, as the natural light of the sun is essential to the process of photosynthesis (natural plant growth). “For God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), speaks of the Lord’s very nature; one of hope, strength, grace, and power. According to the psalmist here, who remains anonymous, the beginning of finding this light and remaining in it day by day, is to ‘Seek and Praise the Lord!’ We have so much to praise God for in our lives, beginning with our salvation through Jesus, along with praising Him as our Creator, Provider, Protector, Sustainer, and the very Author of our lives – ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28).
 
                In humility, recognizing that our very existence, having been created in the very image of God, the psalmist guides us into understanding God’s blessing – ‘Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds delight in his commands.’ Blessed meaning, “to have a sacred nature, being connected with God” which comes from Fearing the Lord, having a ‘reverent awe for God, and a daily willingness to live under His authority.” Another key component of being blessed in the Lord, is ‘to find delight (to take great pleasure or find satisfaction) in His commands,’ meaning that one has a strong desire to live within the sacred boundaries set forth by God in His word which He knows will keep us on the right path toward a deeper relationship with Him.
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         The benefits of praising and fearing the Lord, go beyond the individual, and are passed down from one generation to another as the seeds of faith are sown. The psalmist writes to the one who fears the Lord; ‘His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.’ Here, the reference to be mighty is certainly an indication of being mighty in the eyes of the Lord as the next generation develops their own genuine fear of the Lord and a strong desire to live a life serving and pleasing to Him. The psalmist proclaims in turn, ‘the next generation of the upright will be blessed’ in the Lord as well. Within the house of those who are righteous are wealth and riches, which speak of the spiritual blessings found only in the Lord, not merely worldly riches. Furthermore, that righteousness of the one who praises and fears the Lord will last forever, in this life and throughout all eternity.
 
                As the psalmist concludes, he places emphasis on the promise of God shining light on those who seek Him – ‘Even in the darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.’ God’s light in our lives is so essential to overcome darkness and sin, to continue to light the path of our spiritual journey, and most importantly to keep our gaze set upon the hope that is only found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in walking out our faith journey with the Lord, even in times or seasons of suffering and sharing our faith with others, that our own family generations continue to see the light of the Lord, but also those around us would come to ‘Fear the Lord’ as they see His glorious light shining into the darkest valleys of our lives.
 
Connecting Faith & Life:
 
                Lord and Master, I thank You for being our ultimate source of hope, light, and truth which become more real in our faith journey as we surrender more of our lives to You, living to fear You alone above all else. In You, Lord, we will always find light, for in You there is no darkness as even the darkness is as light to You. “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light becomes night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” (Psalms 139:11-12) Bless us, Lord, as we delight more and more in Your commands, desiring to be a light to those around us. Thank You, Father, for the eternal wealth and riches You have already blessed us with in Christ, which are beyond compare to the earthly riches of this world that so easily pass away. Today, may we praise You and fear You, Lord, walking in the light of Your Spirit and Truth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.