S182P7 – Characters in the Psalms: the good man

Psa. 112:5-8

A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion.  Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.  He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

The Psalmist here writes from the male perspective, but we can extend this commentary on the good man to any person.  This exposition gives us several ways to identify the good man.  We know that he is someone who is gracious, and that seems to carry no conditions.  This does not say that he has grace only for his own people or his brothers, so we can assume that this grace is for all.  He is steadfast and cannot be shaken, counted among the righteous.  Additionally, he is a man without fear in the face of evil because he trusts in the Lord.  All of these things show us a mind that is resolute regarding the things of God, and we know that we cannot have that mind on our own.  

There are degrees to the relationship an individual can have with the Father, Son and Spirit.  The parable of the seeds shows us four levels of closeness one can have, but only one of those levels is the real deal.  Only one of those examples shows us a seed that has grown into a plant rooted in the Lord.  This passage here talks about a heart that is established in God, and I think it is the heart of that kind of seed.  Jesus was right when He said that no man is good, but the Psalmist here talks about a good man.  This really is a man who is doing nothing more than exhibiting the goodness of God.  His grace, steadfastness and fearlessness come from the Lord.  He has decided to be rooted in only one place.

I would guess that most people want to be the best version of themselves that they can be.  Why else would anyone go through education or training or any other kind of self improvement?  Even the U.S. Army invites recruits to “be all you can be.”  The problem is that I cannot be the best version of myself if I rely only on myself for that.  The best version of me is the one that allows God to show himself through me.  Only Christ in me can produce goodness and righteousness and godliness.  We can be not only good people but the best people if we are established in the Lord.  Father, show us any place where we have rooted ourselves outside of You, and help us to produce more of You in our lives.