Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, is the man who delights greatly in His commandments.

Delight

Psalm 1:1, 2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

The power of delight occurs approximately 110 times in Scripture in various forms. Less than fifteen occurrences are found in the New Testament. The word “please” which is related to delight occurs about 350 times, about seventy-five of these occurrences in the New Testament.

The Old Testament however, has two of the most common Hebrew terms for delight which means “to bend towards, or to be inclined towards an object or person” and “to delight or take pleasure in.”

A reverent respect mixed with love and hope and a holy bend or inclination toward God and all He is and stands for is an invitation to walk into extraordinary favor. From the top two passages (proverbs 1:7; Psalm 112) we can outline 7 extraordinary blessings from our Heavenly Father.

Psalm 112:1 – Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!

1. Children blessed of the Lord

“His offspring will be mighty in the land” (psalm 112:2)

How well our children do in this life, in part, depends on how well we live our lives. God has promised to lift our children to the highest heights if we are willing and obedient. May we be able to say like David said, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”

2. Prosperity

“Wealth and riches are in his house” (psalm 112:3)

I agree there are some things money cannot buy. For “it is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich.” So I definitely want those things: joy, hope, health, faith, peace, healthy marriage, children that love the Lord etc… But I also want to put my children through college, pay my bills and put food on the table. Whatever He has in mind here, what I really want is to be dependent on God in my riches and faithful to him in my lack.

 3. Clarity

“Light dawns in the darkness” (psalm 112:4)

Have you ever met anyone who just knew what to do in every circumstance? They are never alarmed by anything. They are confident, calm and decisive even in the most trying times. This is the kind of blessing the God releases in the life of the obedient and willing. And I want some of that!

4. God’s Faithfulness

“He will never be forgotten” (psalm 112:6)

Sometimes we go through stuff and we think He’s forgotten us, forgotten His promise. But nothing can be so further from the truth. Here’s the deal. You’re reading this because He wants to remind you that you’re still on His mind. “Your times are in His hands.”

5. Assurance

“He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm” (psalm 112:7)

I believe God wants to bring us to a place where we are no longer moved by fear. I believe He wants to bring us to a place where bad news only moves us to praise and adoration rather than fear and depression. Fear of the Lord and delight in the Lord releases that assurance that He is in control and everything will be alright in our lives.

6. Determination

“His heart is steady until he looks in triumph on his adversaries” (psalm 112:8)

Victory is certain for those who fear the Lord and delight in Him. It doesn’t matter how impossible the situation looks. The Lord gives those who fear and delight in Him a certain level of determination. It is like seeing the end before you see the beginning. We always win in the end no matter what. Somebody said, “we fight from victory not for it!”

7. A Heart like the Father’s

“He is a generous lender” (psalm 112:9)

God always blesses us because He always has others in mind. We are indeed blessed so that we can be a blessing. We’ve experienced His generosity – now we get to live a generous lifestyle. The fear and delight of the Lord leads us into this lifestyle:

Freely receive – freely give!

Dig Deeper

Job 28:28 ; Psalms 19:9; Deuteronomy 32:6; Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 1:2 ; 63:16; 64:8; Genesis 31:42; Genesis 31:53; Matthew 10:28; 2 co 5:11; 7:1; Phil 2:12; Ephesians 5:21; Hebrews 12:28; Hebrews 12:29.

Dictionary: Bible Study Tools