Psalm 128

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 128

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 128, NKJV

This Psalm is one of the most encouraging Psalms in the Bible. It is very popular today to talk about "The Abundant Life." Sometimes I'm a little critical of that phrase, but Psalm 128 is definitely a root of that idea. We don't become a Christian so we will become richer and more prosperous. We become a Christian because we come with our sin before a holy God and see the hopelessness of our situation; we understand that there is no way we can stand before God in this state of sin. The Bible reveals the true reason Christ came to earth - to save a people for Himself. He alone is able to pay the debt of our sins with His own perfect blood, allowing God to view us as righteous because Christ has paid that debt of sin.

Because we are Christians we attempt, by God's grace, to live according to the Bible. God sees our heart and He sees our desire to be faithful to Him, and sends blessings in abundance. Look at the blessings mentioned: You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands, your wife will be like a fruitful vine, your children will be like olive shoots. This blessing not only occurs to individual familes, but also to an entire nation. When a nation is faithful to the commandments of God, He blesses that nation. Speaking of Israel, in verse 6 of the 128th Psalm, the Psalmist declares, Peace be upon Israel!Please remember, however, that we as Christians experience many trials and difficult times while here on earth. The true fulfillment of God's abundant life will be realized in eternity.

My husband has written a beautiful poetic transliteration of this Psalm, entitled That Man is Truly Treble Blessed

That Man is Truly Treble Blessed

That man is truly treble blessed
Whose constant fear Jehovah stays
Whose feet incline the narrow path
Of following his Sovereign's ways
His table lean or fallow set
A garland wreath of honor spread
His laboring with favor met
His fertile fruitful soil wedHis radiant and lovèd bride
Companion covenantal maid
His gracious garnet guilded vine
A holy and unbroken braid
Endows the long unturnèd Earth
With Abrahamic chosen seed
That man is blessed who fears the Lord
That man is truly blessed indeedFrom Zion's holy dwelling place
The ancient and anointed throne
May Christ's effusive spring of grace
Imbue the timber of the home
Add birth unto Jerusalem
And placid days of peacefulness
To him who is Jehovah's own
Enfold his hoary eyes in restA Transliteration of Psalm 128
©March 17, 1996 David L. Croft

Pray today that you will be filled with blessing from the Lord and that He will give you the grace and help to be obedient to Him.