Psalms 112:5-9 (NASBStr)
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
He has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.
The formula for success trumpeted by Wall Street and Hollywood and the NFL is that you can be tough, mean and must kick others to get to the top. The person who is the most aggressive is the one who will be successful. The toughest gets the most power, possessions and position in our economy. But, note the above commentary, written by God, on what true blessing and success looks like and what the reward for such behavior looks like. First, the goal is to be gracious and generous. The writer above the above Hebrew poem tells us that it will be "well" with the one who has mercy for others and that mercy carries out into action. Note what it means that it will be "well" with such a person. It says that when this type of person is judged they will be able to maintain their cause. That means that false judgement or true judgement will not hinder their good work. The poem tells us that they will not be shaken; that they will be remembered forever; they won't fear when evil news comes; they will persevere; they will feel safe when others fear. Finally, the writer tells us that the righteousness of this person will endure forever and their position in life will be exalted. All of this blessing is a result of being gracious and generous to others. This type of person is others focused. God is that way. He is focused on us. To be blessed we must be gracious and generous.
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