Beyond Your Expectations

I had a bit of an interesting experience this morning.  After arising and getting the coffee brewing, I sauntered into my study, sat done at my desk and fired up my Bible study program on my laptop.  Then with that loading, I turned to the next blank page in my note book, wrote down the date across the top and my scripture for the year… which just happens to be found in the book of Nehemiah chapter eight, verse ten, when, in the midst of a very tough and discouraging time in the life of the Israelite people, their leader boldly declared “Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don't be sad because the joy you have in the LORD is your strength." (God’s Word ©)

Well… reading and writing that verse surely helped to put a smile on my face and when I lifted my pen and looked up at my screen, I noticed that the program had opened up to Psalms 112.  This is where things began to get a little interesting... I thought it to be a little strange as the program normally opens up to the last scripture that it was displaying, which… according to my notes from yesterday, should have been 2 Timothy 3:11.

But I thought, who knows… maybe it was a sign from above!  So, with that inspiration, I started reading Psalm 112:1 and instantly found myself being absorbed into the statement that the Psalmist was making, while a joyous feeling began to fill my soul.  Here the writer enthusiastically begins to proclaim, “Shout in celebration of praise to the Lord! Everyone who loves the Lord and delights in him will cherish his words and be blessed beyond expectation.” (The Passion Translation)

Well… you know me!  Anytime the idea of EXPECTATION pops up in the Word, I get excited and need to find out who, what, where and why it is there!

So, I re-read the verse a few more times and proclaimed… “Why, that’s talking about me, and every other Christian who loves the Lord and delights in Him by cherishing His Word.”  The Psalmist is telling us that as we live our lives in awe-some respect and honor of the Lord and His Word… in a way that is fully impressed by Him, that we can EXPECT to be blessed beyond our EXPECTATIONS!

I mean, like WOW!  I can’t make this stuff up!  It is clearly written in my Bible!  The King James version of Psalm 112:1 is more reserved in its translation stating, “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth* the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.”  But when one takes the time to study the highlighted words, it is plain to see and understand the clear picture that the Psalmist was desiring to convey to his readers… that the more modern translation brings out.

In its commentary of this psalm, the Cambridge Bible declares that, “The secret and source of all true happiness and prosperity is the fear* of Jehovah, which leads to a cheerful and thorough obedience to His commandments.”

The Expositors Bible Commentary tells us that while Psalm 112:1 describes the Christian’s “devout awe and inward delight in the commandments, the bulk of the psalm describes the blessed consequences, rather than the essential characteristics, of godliness.”  In other words… It is telling us EXACTLY why and what we can EXPECT… just as The Passion Translation boldly declared at the end of verse one by saying,

“Everyone who loves the Lord and delights in him will cherish his words and be blessed beyond expectation.”

Like I said… Its pretty clear… and it is confirmed in many other scripture verses throughout both the Old and New Testaments!  Kind of makes me want to follow the urging of the Psalmist and:

“Shout in celebration of praise to the Lord!”

How about you?  Won’t you join me today?

PS:  Here’s a little homework for today.  Take out your favorite Bible translation and read the rest of Psalm 112 (its only 9 more verses) in the light of today’s blog… then tell me what you think! 

AND… Be Blessed Beyond Your Expectations Today!

 

*The word FEAR in contrast to its common definition today, is defined in the original Hebrew and Greek in its usage here as: having a reverential awe, respect for, to be fully impressed by and/or to be struck with amazement.