God Speaks
1121 Praise the Lord!
How joyful are those who fear the Lord
and delight in obeying his commands.
2 Their children will be successful everywhere;
an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
3 They themselves will be wealthy,
and their good deeds will last forever.
4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
5 Good comes to those who lend money generously
and conduct their business fairly.
6 Such people will not be overcome by evil.
Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
7 They do not fear bad news;
they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
8 They are confident and fearless
and can face their foes triumphantly.
9 They share freely and give generously to those in need.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.
They will have influence and honor.
10 The wicked will see this and be infuriated.
They will grind their teeth in anger;
they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.
1131 Praise the Lord!
Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
now and forever.
3 Everywhere—from east to west—
praise the name of the Lord.
4 For the Lord is high above the nations;
his glory is higher than the heavens.
5 Who can be compared with the Lord our God,
who is enthroned on high?
6 He stoops to look down
on heaven and on earth.
7 He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
8 He sets them among princes,
even the princes of his own people!
9 He gives the childless woman a family,
making her a happy mother.
Praise the Lord!
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each chapter of Psalms 112 and 113.
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Psalm 112 [“This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem: after the introductory note of praise, each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.”] *
1. God is worthy to be praised and to be trusted; He rewards and blesses those who do so.
2. If people wish to be blessed and to prosper, they need to praise the LORD God, delight in His commandments, and look to Him to help them be gracious, merciful, righteous, and generous.
Psalm 113
1. God is very great and powerful, yet He also lifts those who trust and obey Him out of poverty and barrenness.
2. People are to praise the LORD and turn to Him with all their difficulties.
*From footnote page 539 in The One Year Pray for America Bible NLT, ©2019, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalms 112 and 113?
Dear God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, You are worthy of all our praise. You can always be trusted. You reward and bless those who respond to You with praise, thanksgiving, and obedience. If people wish to be blessed and to prosper, they need to praise the LORD God. Holy Spirit, please help me to delight in God’s commandments and look to You to help me to be gracious, merciful, righteous, and generous, because that’s what You are. LORD God, You are so very great and powerful, yet You also lift those who trust and obey You out of poverty and barrenness. May multitudes of people praise You, LORD, and turn to You with all their difficulties. You will receive honor and glory as they witness Your intercession on their behalf. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalms 112 and 113?
- I will joyfully and delightedly praise the LORD and look for ways to obey His commandments today.
- I will demonstrate and teach these commandments to the children with whom I have contact.
- I will contribute money and/or time to an organization that is striving to raise people out of poverty.
- I will encourage and pray with a woman who is barren or one who has an unplanned pregnancy (not to abort). [Either or both might consider adoption.]
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.