“Monday Motivation” is a slogan that appears on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook under the hashtag #MondayMotivation where people post positive messages on a Monday.
This morning I awoke and read one of the most positive messages a man could hope to read. It’s found in Psalm 112 and begins with the exclamation, “Praise the Lord!” Of course there are countless reasons as to why we should praise God, but here the psalmist goes on immediately to tell us why we should do so: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!”
The blessed man praises God for two main reasons. First, because the godly man’s desire is not his own doing. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Second, because the one who obeys God is blessed.
These blessings are described in the verses that follow. Read on!
1. His Posterity
“His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (Ps. 112:2). This blessing may or may not include biological offspring. Charles Spurgeon reminds us, “The true seed of the righteous are those who follow them in their virtues, even as believers are the seed of Abraham, because they imitate his faith; and these are the real heroes of their era….” That’s why John the apostle wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Believers today can know such joy as we lead others in the way of the Lord.
2. His Possessions
“Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (Ps. 112:3). To properly understand this verse, we must interpret it through the lens of the New Testament. The author of Hebrews reminds us that the old system under the law of Moses was only a dim preview of the good things to come, not “the true form of these realities” (Heb. 10:1). Whereas money and material possessions are physical and temporary, the true blessings that they illustrate are spiritual and eternal.
Which would you rather have – a vacation home in the Bahamas or eternal life in heaven? A Ferrari, or God’s forgiveness for all your sins? A billion dollars in your bank account, or “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19)? There’s no comparison!
Many of God’s best people are poor by the world’s standards, but they are richer than we can imagine. Grace is better than gold! Even when God does bless a godly person financially, “wealth and riches are in his house,” but they are never in his heart. He knows that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim. 6:10), but “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6).
3. His Permanence
“For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever” (Ps. 112:6). Even when he is gone, he will not be forgotten. “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Prov. 10:7). The godly person’s permanence is best described by Jesus himself in Revelation 3:12: “I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God.” What a promise!
4. His Perspective
Because of all these blessings, the righteous person “is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid…” (Ps. 112:7-8a). The godly are unflappable! They know that God works all things – even the bad things in life – for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). The psalmist testified, “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble” (Ps. 119:165).
The final verses of Psalm 112 issue a warning to the wicked, that his desires will perish. Only those who honor the Lord will be blessed.
May this psalm motivate us – not just on Monday, but every day – to make our lives count for God. The godly life is the good life. “Praise the Lord!”