“A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely, he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:5-7).
Do you ever struggle with doubting if God remembers you? If you believe God does remember you, do you think God remembers you for your sins against Him or does He remember your service to Him? How long does God remember our service to Him before our service to Him is forgotten?
In Psalm 112, we see the blessing of those who strive to be righteous in their walk before God: “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments” (Psalm 112:1). The man who sets His heart to follow God’s commandments and who holds God in reverence will be blessed in a number of ways. In general, his descendants who follow him will be blessed and he himself will enjoy material prosperity because he has followed the principles laid out in God’s Word that enable him to receive God’s blessings (Psalm 112:2-3). This is a generality because a man’s descendants have a free will to choose for themselves whether they will obey God, and God does allow us to go through trials such as financial trials, physical health challenges, and other struggles to test and strengthen our faith (Romans 5:3-4).
However, more importantly than material prosperity or our descendants becoming mighty, the spiritual blessings that the righteous man receives are mentioned in this psalm: First, the righteous are given light and guidance in darkness: “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (Psalm 112:4). Second, God remembers each act of service the righteous performs on God’s behalf: “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance” (Psalm 112:6), “Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:3). The services of the righteous are not soon forgotten by God, but rather their work “endures forever” as God hold them in “everlasting remembrance”.
Knowing God views their service to Him in this manner, gives the righteous great confidence as they face various trials. Regarding the righteous, the psalmist says, “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.” (Psalm 112:7-8). The righteous have this confidence not because they are trusting in their own acts of righteousness which they have done, but because they are trusting in the Lord who is watching over them, appreciating, and remembering their service unto Him. Because of His confidence in God power to work in his life, the heart of the righteous is “established” (Psalm 112:8), and he can be bold and not be easily shaken when trouble arises (Psalm 112:6).
I find great encouragement from this Psalm as I think about my service to God. God does not easily forget me service to Him. He remembers each and every act of service to Him. This doesn’t mean I am trying to “earn my salvation” or “work my way to heaven”. It only means that I find great comfort knowing God takes notice of my service to Him. I praise God my service to him “endures forever”. This encourages me to have an “established heart” that can be steadfast if I will continue to trust in the Lord as my strength. I can have confidence that I will “never be shaken” if I place all my faith in God. Today, I rejoice that God holds me in “everlasting remembrance”!
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).