Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who reverences the Lord and lives in obedience to His ways. That blessing means enjoying the fruit of one's own labor in happiness, well-being and prosperity, under the Lord's blessing and in lifelong good. This happiness and well-being are promised on the condition of fearing God and walking in obedience. Walking in His ways means entrusting the whole life to His guidance and living with strict fidelity in every word, deed and business dealing, acting honestly, honoring the rights of others and refusing dishonest gain even under pressure. It means choosing obedience over Satan's temptations to gain wealth or success by fraud and lies, even when faithfulness brings want or hunger, because success gained that way costs what is good, holy and pure.
Blessing and Its Promise
Blessed is every single person who reveres the Lord and lives according to His ways, walking in the path He has marked out. That blessedness belongs to the one who fears God and keeps to His ways in life and conduct. Taken together with the next verse, the promise is that such a person will eat and enjoy the fruit of his own labor, and will be happy, fare well, and have well-being. The enjoyment of the results of honest work, with happiness and wellness, is the portion joined to this reverent walk.
Fearing God and walking in obedience are the stated conditions on which that happiness and well-being are promised. The blessing opened up in the verses that follow goes further still, including receiving the Lord's blessing and seeing the good of Jerusalem all the days of life. It is certain that serving the Lord brings happiness and prosperity through the fruit of one's labor.
Faithfulness in Work and Life
Blessedness belongs to the one who reveres the Lord and lives in His ways, and this calls for placing the entire life in God's hands and yielding to His direction. To walk in those ways is to practice strict faithfulness in every word and action, refusing to use deception to gain personal advantage. In business life, reverence for God means allowing faith to govern conduct, dealing honestly, respecting the rights of others, and rejecting dishonest profit even when pressed to compromise. Such a life is joined to the promise that follows, that the faithful will eat and enjoy the product of their own labor and will be well. The blessing rests on practical faithfulness shown in upright behavior and reverence toward God, bringing happiness and well-being with the fruit of labor.
Obedience to God must be chosen instead of surrender to Satan's temptations, especially when dishonest schemes are presented as the road to wealth or success. The happiness, well-being, and enjoyment of one's labor promised to the obedient stand in contrast to success won by following Satan's plans, for that kind of success costs all that is good and holy and pure. Faithfulness is to be held fast over sin, fraud, and falsehood even if obedience leads to poverty or hunger. Serving the Lord in this way certainly brings happiness and prosperity through enjoying the fruit of honest work.
Blessed is everyone who reverences the Lord and lives in obedience to His ways. That blessing means enjoying the fruit of one's own labor in happiness, well-being and prosperity, under the Lord's blessing and in lifelong good. This happiness and well-being are promised on the condition of fearing God and walking in obedience. Walking in His ways means entrusting the whole life to His guidance and living with strict fidelity in every word, deed and business dealing, acting honestly, honoring the rights of others and refusing dishonest gain even under pressure. It means choosing obedience over Satan's temptations to gain wealth or success by fraud and lies, even when faithfulness brings want or hunger, because success gained that way costs what is good, holy and pure.
Blessing and Its Promise
Blessed is every single person who reveres the Lord and lives according to His ways, walking in the path He has marked out. That blessedness belongs to the one who fears God and keeps to His ways in life and conduct. Taken together with the next verse, the promise is that such a person will eat and enjoy the fruit of his own labor, and will be happy, fare well, and have well-being. The enjoyment of the results of honest work, with happiness and wellness, is the portion joined to this reverent walk.
Fearing God and walking in obedience are the stated conditions on which that happiness and well-being are promised. The blessing opened up in the verses that follow goes further still, including receiving the Lord's blessing and seeing the good of Jerusalem all the days of life. It is certain that serving the Lord brings happiness and prosperity through the fruit of one's labor.
Faithfulness in Work and Life
Blessedness belongs to the one who reveres the Lord and lives in His ways, and this calls for placing the entire life in God's hands and yielding to His direction. To walk in those ways is to practice strict faithfulness in every word and action, refusing to use deception to gain personal advantage. In business life, reverence for God means allowing faith to govern conduct, dealing honestly, respecting the rights of others, and rejecting dishonest profit even when pressed to compromise. Such a life is joined to the promise that follows, that the faithful will eat and enjoy the product of their own labor and will be well. The blessing rests on practical faithfulness shown in upright behavior and reverence toward God, bringing happiness and well-being with the fruit of labor.
Obedience to God must be chosen instead of surrender to Satan's temptations, especially when dishonest schemes are presented as the road to wealth or success. The happiness, well-being, and enjoyment of one's labor promised to the obedient stand in contrast to success won by following Satan's plans, for that kind of success costs all that is good and holy and pure. Faithfulness is to be held fast over sin, fraud, and falsehood even if obedience leads to poverty or hunger. Serving the Lord in this way certainly brings happiness and prosperity through enjoying the fruit of honest work.