Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.—Psalm 112:4
He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.—Psalm 112:7
There IS much ongoing heartache and sorrow in my life that I am powerless to remedy. The underlying song and background melody of my heart is joyful gratitude for all my God has done, but often my immediate presenting emotion is grief.
Yesterday was one of those days. My heart was overwhelmed by sorrow and I needed the comfort that only God can give. Psalm 112 brought it.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
The Lord my God will light my lamp; He will enlighten my darkness. He will make even the night light about me. Psalm 112:4 reminded me to think on who my God is…on His character. He is gracious, and full of compassion. He is righteous. Its words brought to mind this precious truth from Job and its corollary from 1 Peter.
And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
The end my God intends for me is good…my Lord is very compassionate and merciful. Tears came then and life became easier to bear because I knew my God was bearing it with me. I was not alone. God is my strong habitation to which I can continually resort. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His love never fails. His mercy toward me is great, and I am always helped. I can face my sorrow without fear. It will not overwhelm me. My heart will safely trust Him. He will see me through.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.—Isaiah 43:1-2
17 Unless the LORD had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
18 If I say, "My foot slips,"
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.
19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.—Psalm 94:17-19
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so,” it is well with my soul.
