Newsletter Devotionals: A Righteous Response Response in Restless Times by Wesley Kouba

Ps. 112 corresponds closely with Ps 111. Both begin and end with the same word “blessed” & “perish.” Ps. 111 is about who God is and what God has done while 112 is the righteous one’s response to God and his work.

Ps 112:4 describes the essence of a righteous person. It stands in contrast to v10 which describes the wicked. The first thing we must notice is that the path of righteousness is not all daisies and sunshine. The darkness is simply assumed and accepted, yet the promise is that light will dawn! The characteristics of the righteous in the midst of the darkness is they are “gracious, merciful & righteous.” Notice again these are the same attributes ascribed to God himself (111.4). People who bask in God’s presence and in His powerful word become like him. You become what you worship.

v5-9 describe the 2 responses of the righteous. First, they are generous, honest and just in all that they do (v5). The connectedness that is felt in the word, “lend” is very similar to the idea in Acts 2:44-47 where the early Christians shared all that they had. They distribute freely & give to those in need (9). Second, the righteous are grounded & not shaken. They are “never moved” and their “heart is firm & steady.” There is a lot of bad news today. There are a lot of unknowns and circumstances that can cause us to fear & be crippled by it. But the righteous are confident, consistent and steady in the face of fear (v5-7, 2Tim 1:7).

What an incredible message for today! In the midst of everything going on, God’s people can not only live generously, but find incredible resolve in the midst of this global pandemic. The lynchpin of these 2 characteristics of the righteous is that they “trust in the Lord.” Now while this often overused and abused Christian phrase has become a trite cliché, its truest essence is still vitally important and powerful. When we say “put your faith in Jesus & believe in the Gospel!” this is what we mean. In the midst of your darkness, anxiety & loneliness, we need the truest essence of trusting God more than ever! No matter what you’re currently experiencing or feeling, would you trust in the Lord today? Would you believe that He is gracious & merciful (111:4), that he’ll provide (5), that he’ll show his power (6), that his works are faithful and just (7) and that he has sent redemption (9)? We must pray & repeat these truths over and over our minds and souls every day.