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Illustration for Psalm 112: The Blessed Person

Psalm 112

The Blessed Person

WisdomWhen Afraid

Blessed is the person who loves and respects God! They don't need to be afraid of bad news because their heart trusts in God. They are generous and give to the poor. Their goodness is remembered forever while the wicked fade away.

  1. 1Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments.
  2. 2His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
  3. 3Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
  4. 4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
  5. 5Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
  6. 6Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
  7. 7He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
  8. 8His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
  9. 9He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
  10. 10The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

What it means

Here is a striking line: this person is not afraid of bad news, because their heart is settled on God. It does not say they never get bad news. It says the news does not knock them over, because they are standing on something that does not move.

A little prayer

God, help me not to be knocked over when bad news comes, because my heart is holding on to You. Make me generous and kind to people who have less than me. Amen.

Memory verse

“He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.”

Psalm 112:7 (BSB)

It does not promise good news; it promises a heart that can take bad news.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The psalm says this person is not afraid of bad news. How is that possible?
  2. It says their heart is steady because they trust. What makes a heart unsteady?
  3. It describes them as generous and fair. Are those connected to not being afraid?
  4. What piece of news would you most dread, and who would you want with you?

Try this

Bad news drill

Talk through what your family would actually do if something hard happened — who you would call, who would come. Having a plan is a kind of steadiness. Read verse 7 afterwards.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)