GOD keeps HIS promises.

Psalm 112:1 Praise the Lord!How joyful are those who fear the Lordand 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 generouslyand 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 fearlessand 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.

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I noticed that GOD uses the word "will" a lot in this passage. HE never says "maybe." Since GOD understands and knows everything we will go through HE can easily keep HIS promises.So I thought, where is the wealth? Where is the stuff? Then I read the passage again, this time from a less selfish view. GOD calls me to obey HIS commands. HE gives me a list of things to do.

• Be Generous
• Be Compassionate
• Be Righteous
• Give Generously
• Conduct Business Fairly
• Be Confident
• Trust in the LORD
• Be Fearless
• Be Generous
• Have good deeds

This great Psalm full of promises depends on me. In spite of my circumstances I must be faithful to GOD and not worry whether HE is holding up HIS end of the bargain. Too many times I don't put my trust in HIM and I check to see whether HE is doing HIS part. I set selfish expectations of what "wealth" looks like. I act like the spoiled child who says "yeah, but I don't have the gold Ipod." When I do this, I can't recognize the wealth GOD has provided for me.

GOD said I would be wealthy and my good deeds would last forever. HE said I would not be overcome by evil. HE promised that my children would be blessed and HIS light would shine on me.

All I have to do is be able to accept bad news. What bad news? Verses 7 and 8 jumped out at me. You mean that sometimes I will hear bad news and I will have some people who don't like me? Yes! I should expect my plans to go off track. I should expect adversaries. I should expect stuff to break and for some people to break their promises.

BUT, I should keep my trust in the LORD. I shouldn't look over HIS shoulder to see if HE is doing HIS job. HE gave me plenty to do. I have noticed that when I am generous even in lean times, I am wealthy in ways I didn't expect. I end up with plenty of true friends. I end up wealthy in wisdom and love. My spirit gets excited and I rest easier.

• Can you expect bad news and put your trust in the LORD?
• Are you setting selfish expectations on GOD?
• Do you recognize the blessings HE has given you already?
• Do you believe HE will provide for you?