Psalm 112 – Blessings of the Righteous

Psalm 112 – Blessings of the Righteous

Blessings of the Righteous

¹ Praise the Lord!

Happy are those who fear the Lord,

who greatly delight in his commandments.

² Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³ Wealth and riches are in their houses,

and their righteousness endures forever.

⁴ They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;

they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.

⁵ It is well with those who deal generously and lend,

who conduct their affairs with justice.

⁶ For the righteous will never be moved;

they will be remembered forever.

⁷ They are not afraid of evil tidings;

their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.

⁸ Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;

in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

⁹ They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;

their righteousness endures forever;

their horn is exalted in honor.

¹⁰ The wicked see it and are angry;

they gnash their teeth and melt away;

the desire of the wicked comes to nothing. ^[1]

Questions for Reflection:

1. What does Psalm 112 say to you?
2. What are the “Blessings of the Righteous?”
3. What are your thoughts about when the righteous suffer?

Prayer: Lord, I thank you in advance for the blessings you have in store for me this day. The day is still unfolding, but I know you have a blessing waiting for me. Shower me with your favor. Drench me with your love. Support me with blessings more bountiful than I can imagine. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Written by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III

Photo by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III

Additional Prayers Photos and Meditations from Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III at https://nicholashoodiiiministries.wordpress.com/

More about the ministry, mission, and meditations from Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III at www.nicholashoodiiiministries.org and www.puccdetroit.org

New – Listen to readings from the Book of Psalms and Inspirational Prayers written by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III at Nicholas Hood3, is now available on Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nicholas-hood3/id1370371705.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ps 112). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Listen to the newest episode of my podcast, Nicholas Hood3: Psalm 112 – Blessings of the Righteous https://anchor.fm/nicholas-hood3/episodes/Psalm-112—Blessings-of-the-Righteous-e25s93

A Prayer for the Generations

A Prayer for the Generations –

Before a recent trip to China, I put a photo on my phone of my dad and two sons. We took the picture at Christmas time. Both sons were in Detroit and I thought it an opportune time to capture the moment. As I look at this photo and think about all that it represents, I think about my father, who was preparing to die. I think about how when my mother died, my father shut down the home I grew up in on Fullerton Street, sold the home and moved to an apartment building downtown. My father grew up terrified of swimming, because in his home town of Terre Haute, Indiana, black kids could not use the swimming pools, but swam in the rock quarries where some of his friends drowned. But, as a widowed senior citizen, my father took it upon himself to go to the local recreation center and learned how to swim, because he wanted to take his grandsons to the pool in his apartment building.

Nathan and Noah were just little boys when my mother died. Nathan hardly remembers my mother and Noah only has photos of her. But they knew my father! My father helped us drive them to and from school. He watched them sometimes after school and had a ball taking them swimming in the beautiful pool at the Millender Center Apartments.

Last year, my father died. My sons are now grown men. As I gathered them together for the photo, I thought to myself, “this is probably it, the end is near.” I am so pleased that I took the photo, because it is a reminder that life goes on. A generation comes, a generation goes, and through it all, life goes on. I thank God for the persons who have laid the foundation for my life and I thank God that my life is not my own, but a life that will transcend my years on this earth.

Psalm 112: ¹ Praise the Lord!

Happy are those who fear the Lord,

who greatly delight in his commandments.

²    Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed. ^[1]

 

Questions for Reflection:

 

1. What are your thoughts regarding those who have preceded you and those who will follow you?
2. What is your prayer for your children?

 

Prayer:

Lord, I pause to say thank you for those who have preceded me. I thank you for my children and my children’s children. Grant that I might live my life in such a manor that I might honor the generations that came before me and that I might be an inspiration to those who will follow me. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior I pray. Amen.

 

 

Written by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III

Photo by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III

Additional Prayers Photos and Meditations from Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III at https://nicholashoodiiiministries.wordpress.com/

More about the ministry of Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III at www.nicholashoodiiiministries.org

 

 

^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ps 112:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Generations of the Upright Will be Blessed!

The Generations of the Upright Will be Blessed!

Destiny and Duja Dove

 

Justin Dove and his wife, Courtney, brought their two children to my 32^nd Annual Pastor’s Memorial Day Bike Ride. The young daughters look like they are under three years of age and their parents put them in a “Jogger” carrier unit that attached to a bike. With rest stops, the entire bike ride was over 16 miles. As we gathered at the beginning of the “Bike Ride”, I asked all 81 participants to introduce themselves. When it was Justin’s turn, he mentioned that he had participated in the Bike Ride since he was a little boy. It dawned upon me that Justin’s children represent the next generation of persons to participate in my little tradition.

Courtney Dove, center, grandfather, Delano Dove, right, Mike Daniels, left

 

If anything is to last and grow in life, it must be shared with the generations to come. So often in life, things end when the great ones who established progress pass on. One of the greatest things you and I can do is to build platforms and systems that our children can expand and take to even higher levels.

Justin Dove, left, Mike Daniels on the right

 

In Psalm 112, David talks about how happy are those who fear the Lord, who “Delight in his commandments” and that their “descendants will be mighty in the land.”   Somewhere, at the back or front of our minds, you and I should always give thought to the generations that will follow us. What we do today lays the foundation for years to come. This is true in every aspect of life. Our financial foundation, emotional foundation and spiritual foundation is the start point for the future generations that will come behind us. My question to you is this, “What foundation are you building for those who will follow you?”

Psalm 112: ¹ Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. ²     Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. ^[1]

Questions for Reflection:

1. What are your thoughts regarding the blessings of God being passed down through the generations?
2. What are the responsibilities of the current generation to ensure that the blessings of God will be shared with future generations?

Prayer: Lord, make me a good steward of the blessings you have showered upon me. Make me observant and diligent as I seek to follow your word. Bless my children, that they might fear you and follow you in all they say and do. Bless the generations that will follow me, that they might learn from my mistakes, build upon my success, and live lives of faithful service to you.

Written by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III

Photo by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III

Additional Prayers Photos and Meditations from Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood IIII at https://nicholashoodiiiministries.wordpress.com/

More about the ministry of Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood III at www.nicholashoodiiiministries.wordpress.com/

 

 

^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ps 112:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.