The Result

Psalm 112 cont’d:

He has given freely to the poor, His righteousness endures forever;

His horn will be exalted in honor. The wicked will see it and be ^[vexed,

He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked will perish.

These are the last verses of this chapter on the prosperity of one who fears the Lord.

Once we have trusted him, delighted in his commandments, and put our fears in their place, we are free to give to the poor because we have no fear of lack for ourselves. This includes those who are poor in spirit.  We can give out of our fullness to those who are lacking, because we realize that in him we lack nothing.

Who are the wicked?  They are those who practice evil.  And when they see his righteousness enduring forever in those who fear Him, even through dark trials, even through hardships, it will upset them…until their desires perish.

What does that mean?

I like to think that when we live a life pleasing to Him, those who desire to inflict evil on others will lose their desire to do so, because as we lift up the name of the Lord, others will be drawn to Him.

The best way we can be a witness to the wicked and draw them to Him is through delighting in the Lord and obeying his commands, giving freely to those who are without, and living a life of peace and joy in the homes in which we live.

There is no fear to those who trust in him.  And those who live in fear will experience a melting away of their evil desires and be drawn to the light, as we walk in the light.