Psalm 112:1-9… “They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.” vss. 4-5
Like Jesus, the psalmist knew that there were good and decent people, and he describes them as gracious, merciful, righteous, generous, and just. He even says that they are a light for the upright, and that they will be blessed. We know such people too. They abound in our communities of faith, and we worship with them regularly. We are blessed by our encounters with them and we praise God that they are in our lives. Even though we know that they are both good and broken children of God, for some reason when we are in their presence we see only goodness. It could even be that this is also how we appear to them—and that is even a greater blessing.
Sometimes we wonder how it can be that people can actually live this way. Are they simply masking their brokenness and keeping the ugly parts of their lives a secret from others? It could be. Humans are remarkably adept in the practice of deceit and hypocrisy. But it’s also true that many people just don’t have that much to hide. They are remarkably transparent, and what you see is the way they are. The roots of such honesty lie in their humility and connection to God. They know that in Christ there is nothing to hide—and so they don’t!
Thought for the Day: How deep is my goodness?
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