Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.
A Song of Ascents.
128 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you shall eat of the [a]fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
[b]Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.5 The Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
For anyone familiar with “prosperity teaching” and its shortcomings, this is a hard one to digest. Although, if you believe that teaching, you might just take it at face value, but I’d like to suggest that you’re selling yourself short. God’s endgame isn’t making you fabulously wealthy and comfortable in this temporary physical life. His aim is much loftier and long-term than that.
At any rate, the first part of this psalm seems part prayer, as in, “I pray this for anyone who fears the Lord…” Yet it is perhaps also what life ought to be when you walk in God’s ways. I think back to the story of George Mueller again. He left everything to run an orphanage, and did it not with boatloads of cash, but on prayer and trust in God. They never went hungry, and God always provided what they needed. To paraphrase v. 2, they were “happy and it was well with them.”
I hesitate to touch v. 3, as I’m sure there are barren women and childless families who could rightfully say, “Hey, we’re walking in God’s ways, what about us?” No doubt there are things going on in this world that may affect fertility, and they are sad and difficult to undo. I would say this though, make sure you are listening to His voice, and following His way.
If you are indeed doing exactly what God has asked, then be patient. Know this, He has a plan for your life, and it is good. Maybe He has plans for you to adopt, or maybe your gift is to dote on the children in your church, teaching them to walk in His ways. Could God be asking you to run (or work at) an orphanage, showing God’s love to those waiting for a forever home? Maybe there is yet a bigger miracle on the way, but in all things, seek His plan.
And that’s really the biggest thing I see in this psalm, that we need to walk in His ways, and seek His face. Know that He has everything under control, and yet, this world is not our home, at least not for long. What is a hundred years in the face of eternity? And still He works in us to change hearts and lives, not just for this life, but for life everlasting. Listen to His voice, and walk in His footsteps each day, and may you indeed be blessed!