Series: Blessed Be
Psalm 112:8 ESV
Psalm 112:8 NLT
Psalm 112:8 GNT
I have a confession to make.
I’ve never really been a brave sort of person.
I do not consider myself to be the kind of person who can come up with a plan and consistently implement it just as I planned.
I openly admit I am a ‘wing and a prayer’ kind of person.
I honestly think that’s why ‘me da’ worked relentlessly when I was a child (especially from sixth grade on.)
You see, by then he would have figured out that I will never be tall.
I will never be terribly athletic because I’m not very coordinated.
I think he had figured out that my best bet at succeeding would be to learn how to talk, present, write, and execute with my brain and my mouth.
In addition to that, he worked tirelessly answering my questions about who God is and how God interacts with us.
Whenever I ‘got stuck’ and I didn’t understand scripture he would help me.
God was the driver but my dad listened well. He read and studied scripture several hours a day.
Looking back I can see that he gave me tools in my toolbox.
Psalm 112:8 tells us, “His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.”
In this scripture, HE/SHE is the man or woman who trusts and reveres God and God’s Commandments.
Because he/she reveres God and the commandments of God his (or her) heart is steady.
He/She will not be afraid.
That person is not afraid to face enemies.
We obtain more information from the New Living Translation for Psalm 112:8, “They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.”
While I did take my dad seriously, if I could go back in time I might be less inclined to take some things he said more seriously. That doesn’t mean I didn’t listen at all…it just means I would have cherished every lesson more.
In today’s world it would mean I would video every lesson.
In 1966 we didn’t have that kind of technology.
It’s a little unbelievable to me now when I look back at the way things were when I was young. I didn’t have my first gigantic cell phone until the early 90’s.
That made me wonder…
I asked my 96 year old Mom what communication was like during World 2. The only communication they had with her older brother was by letter. The day they heard the war was over they all sat around the radio listening to hear the latest news. Even then I’m not sure they knew much about when my uncle would return home.
Specifically I asked her if they were afraid.
She said she remembered her Mom crying and crying always wondering if he was okay. After the announcement on the radio that the war was over they did get a letter from him saying he was headed to Kansas City.
It’s difficult for me to think about what it was like in 1945.
Were they afraid?
Absolutely!
Knowing my grandmother as a woman of faith, I am certain she prayed a lot!
She relied on God all the days of her life. She was a church-goer (using words from her generation).
She was the church pianist and she played every week. That reminded me of an old song we used to sing. The first verse to “A Mighty Fortress is our God” tells us:
“A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing.
Our helper he amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.”
I remember singing the hymn when I was a child. The tune is almost like a powerful marching tune. I remember swinging my hands as I sang.
It was a song of victory.
The Good News Translation for Psalm 112:8 says, the “He is not worried or afraid; he is certain to see his enemies defeated.
A mighty fortress is our God that we can rely on every day, we do not need to be afraid because God has it all covered.
Spiritual Practice: Pray Courageous
Tell God you trust in His unfailing power and strength.
In God, Deborah
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