These psalms remind us that God is personal. His works are great, and they are done for our sakes, that we might give Him the glory He deserves and serve our intended purpose of loving Him intimately and sharing with Him a relationship of mutual delight.
Note in Psalm 111 what one does to enjoy that relationship with Him: giving thanks, congregating with the upright for the purpose of worship, studying His works, delighting in His works, remembering His works intentionally- reviewing and recalling them. Where does the psalmist begin in remembering and studying God’s works? With the most basic of them, something so basic we tend to take it for granted: with His providing food for us. We are able to take that for granted much more than the people of the psalmist’s day did, but it’s likely that man has always been inclined to take for granted that a seed planted and properly tended bears fruit. It is God’s goodness that gives us the luxury of taking such reliable blessing for granted. What else do we take for granted? The natural wonders are works of God that cannot fail to inspire awe in their creator. The more he is able to delve into their depths, the more man realizes how amazing they are, and how little he truly understands about them. That is why studying them is so important.
As it is with His works of creation, God’s love and faithfulness are shown in the salvation He has worked out for man. If the psalmist was able to find reasons to praise God for His redemption through the Old Covenant, how much more can we praise Him for our abundant salvation!
I encourage you to spend some time today contemplating – remembering, observing, giving praise and thanks – God’s wonderful works, and specifically His wonderful works for you. You may not be enjoying the wealth and riches spoken of in Psalm 112, and yet, perhaps you are: perhaps your concept of wealth and riches is different than God’s. Accepting the promise of an all-powerful God who made and sustains everything by His word alone, you have all that you need, and that is great wealth indeed. You may not feel like light has dawned in your darkness, but that is not the end of your story. If you feel that God has not dealt bountifully with you, you need to remember and study your salvation.
Does it seem to you that these psalms lack structure, flitting from topic to topic rather insensibly? That understanding had long left me feeling mostly frustrated with the psalms, and believing that they were fluffy and shallow. However, study has led me to a greater insight into them, and they are truly powerful conveyors of truth. I invite you to take one of these psalms and dive into it in study. Ask God to reveal to you the connections between the ideas, and spend some time thinking over them. You might look up other Scriptures referenced in footnotes within the psalm. This kind of study is beyond the scope of this blog, but happily, your best guidance for study is found in the One living inside of you. He wants to be asked and sought! He rewards those who diligently seek Him!