When the Fear of God and Generosity Go Hand in Hand
Promises, Promises…
Every election cycle, politicians make promises they will never keep, including promises they have no power to keep. And yet, we keep electing them to office. But that discussion is a rabbit hole for another time.
Advertisers also make a plethora of promises that have conditions or limitations. They evade many of their promises through the ubiquitous fine print most of us won’t read. Still, they know those promises will pull people in to buy their products.
Throughout our lives, we hear and make many promises. Some promises are big, like commitments we make in relationships with others. Other promises are smaller and not as significant. We make these promises with good intentions.
Some smaller, well-intentioned promises include, “I’ll call you,” or “I’ll pray for you,” but we never do. Our genuine intentions to call or pray for someone often get interrupted by the demands of our lives.
We may not keep all our promises, but God always keeps His promises. Many of His promises are contingent upon us fulfilling our commitment to Him. Some of God’s promises are fulfilled because of our implicit trust in God. They are the fruit of our trust and respect for God.
Scripture
Hallelujah! Blessed is the person who fears the Lord and is happy to obey his commands.
His descendants will grow strong on the earth. The family of a decent person will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his home. His righteousness continues forever. [vss 1-3]
Light will shine in the dark for a decent person. He is merciful, compassionate, and fair.
All goes well for the person who is generous and lends willingly. He earns an honest living. He will never fail.
A righteous person will always be remembered. [vss 4-6]
He is not afraid of bad news. His heart remains secure, full of confidence in the Lord.
His heart is steady, and he is not afraid. In the end he will look triumphantly at his enemies.
He gives freely to poor people. His righteousness continues forever. His head is raised in honor.
The wicked person sees this and becomes angry. He angrily grits his teeth and disappears. The hope that wicked people have will vanish. [vss 7-10]
(Psalms 112:1-10 GW) [Context– Psalm 112]
Reflections and Insights
This psalm reminds us of the essence of true righteousness. It’s connected to a trust in God. Faith—a personal trust in God—is based on a relationship with God and an understanding of His nature (Heb 11:6). God is merciful, compassionate, and fair.
The fear of God—not anxiety, but awe and respect—motivates a person to live as a reflection of God. This relationship of trust in the Lord carries over to day-to-day life in our relationships with others.
Trust generates confidence. When I trust God with my whole life, I'm confident in who He is and know He will honor my trust in Him. God by nature is generous and faithful, so I can be generous to others with what God gives me.
My heart will be secure, steady, and unafraid. I won't worry about today or tomorrow because of my trust in the Lord. The more I trust, the more confident I am in Him and free to be generous.
I won’t need to talk about it or tell others how they ought to be generous. This is made known by my life example. Trusting in God will lead to generosity flowing from my life as a demonstration of awe and respect for Him.
Reflection—
Do you struggle with trusting God? Do you have a true and right fear of God? When your trust in God is reflected in your life, your actions and ways will speak for you.
Prayer Focus—
If you need to learn to trust God, ask Him to help you by reminding you of His faithfulness in your life. You can also ask the Lord to help you be generous and gracious towards others.
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