Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2797 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

The Title for Today’s Wisdom-Trek is: Wisdom-Trek: The Mirror Image – The "A to Z" of the Godly Life.

Today, we are stepping into the second half of a magnificent diptych. We are trekking through Psalm One Hundred Twelve, covering the entire poem, verses one through ten, in the New Living Translation.

To understand the beauty of this psalm, we must remember where we stood yesterday. In our previous trek through Psalm One Hundred Eleven, we studied the "A to Z" of God. That psalm was an acrostic poem—meaning each line began with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet—celebrating the perfect works of Yahweh. It described Him as "gracious and compassionate," a Provider of food, a Keeper of covenants, and a God whose works are "truth and justice."

Psalm One Hundred Eleven ended with a bridge: "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom."

Today, Psalm One Hundred Twelve picks up exactly where that verse left off. It is the "twin brother" of the previous psalm. It is also an acrostic poem, following the exact same alphabetical structure. But there is a twist.

If Psalm One Hundred Eleven was the "A to Z" of God’s Character, Psalm One Hundred Twelve is the "A to Z" of the Godly Person’s Character.

The psalmist is doing something profound here. He is using the same vocabulary, the same structure, and even the same phrases to describe the believer that he used to describe God. This is the biblical doctrine of the Imago Dei—the Image of God. We become what we worship. If we fear and delight in a God who is gracious, compassionate, and righteous, we will eventually become gracious, compassionate, and righteous ourselves.

So, let us look into this mirror and see what a human life looks like when it is fully conformed to the image of the King.

The first segment is: The Foundation: Fear and Delight.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verse one.

Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.

The psalm begins with the same shout as its twin: "Hallelujah!" ("Praise the Lord!").

But then it moves immediately to the human subject: "How joyful are those who fear the Lord..." (Literally, "Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh").

This connects the dots perfectly. Psalm One Hundred Eleven ended with the "fear of the Lord" as the beginning of wisdom. Psalm One Hundred Twelve begins with the "fear of the Lord" as the source of joy.

But notice the balance: "...and delight in obeying his commands."

This destroys the idea that "fearing God" means being terrified of Him. In the Ancient Israelite worldview, fear and delight are not opposites; they are partners. "Fear" is the recognition of God’s ultimate authority and power; "Delight" is the enthusiastic alignment with His will.

The Hebrew word for "delight" is chaphats. It means to take pleasure in, to bend towards, to desire. The godly person doesn't obey God’s commands because they are a burden or a duty to be trudged through. They obey because they love the Commander. They have studied His works (as we did in Psalm 111) and found them to be "just and good," so naturally, they want to live that way too.

The second segment is: The Legacy: The Mighty Seed.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verses two through three.

Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.  They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.

Now, the psalmist describes the consequences of this God-fearing life. It begins with Legacy.

The literal Hebrew is much more potent: "His seed shall be mighty on the earth."

The word for "mighty" is gibbor—the same word used for "warrior" or "hero." In the Divine Council worldview, this is significant. In Genesis Six, the rebellious "sons of God" produced the Nephilim, the "mighty men" (gibborim) of old, who filled the earth with violence.

Here, the psalmist presents the counter-insurgency. The man who fears Yahweh produces a new kind of gibborim—a "mighty seed" that fills the earth not with violence, but with righteousness. The family of the believer is God’s answer to the chaos of the world.

The phrase "wealth and riches" is used here. While this certainly includes material provision—as God is the Provider of food (Psalm 111:5)—it points to something deeper: Substance. The godly life is not empty; it is full.

And look at the phrase: "their good deeds will last forever."

Literally, "His righteousness endures forever."

Wait a minute. In Psalm One Hundred Eleven, verse three, it said of God: "His righteousness endures forever." Now, in Psalm One Hundred Twelve, verse three, it says of the Man: "His righteousness endures forever."

Do you see the mirror? The man is reflecting the permanence of God. Because he has built his life on God’s eternal commands, his impact—his righteousness—acquires the quality of eternity. It doesn't fade when he dies.

The third segment is: The Character: A Light in the Darkness.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verse four.

Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

The world is often a dark place, full of confusion and chaos. But the psalmist tells us:

Some translations render this: "He shines in the darkness as a light for the upright." It’s ambiguous—is God the light, or is the godly man the light? Given the context of the mirror image, it likely means the godly man becomes a light. As Jesus said, "You are the light of the world."

And what does this light look like? It looks like character: "They are generous, compassionate, and righteous."

Again, check the mirror. In Psalm One Hundred Eleven, verse four, God was described as "gracious and compassionate" (channun ve-rachum). Here, the godly man is described with the exact same Hebrew words: channun ve-rachum.

This is the goal of our Wisdom-Trek. We are not just trying to follow rules; we are trying to absorb the personality of God. When we are gracious to the annoying, compassionate to the hurting, and righteous in our dealings, we are flashing the family resemblance of our Heavenly Father to a dark world.

The fourth segment is: The Economics of Trust: Generosity and Justice.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verses five through six.

Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.  Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered.

Now the psalmist applies this character to the marketplace.

The godly man is not a hoarder. He understands that his "wealth and riches" (verse 3) are tools for blessing. He lends "generously" (literally, "he is gracious"). He doesn't lend like a shark; he lends like a brother.

Literally, "He sustains his affairs with justice (mishpat)."

Here is the mirror again. In Psalm 111:7, God’s works were "truth and justice." Here, the godly man’s business dealings are "justice." He doesn't cheat. He doesn't cut corners. He maintains the moral order of God’s kingdom in his ledger books.

Because he lives this way—open-handed and upright—he achieves stability: "Such people will not be overcome by evil." (Literally, "He shall never be moved").

Just as God’s commands are "established forever" (Psalm 111:8), the man who obeys them becomes immovable. He has gravity. He has weight.

Or, "The righteous will be for an everlasting memorial." Just as God made a "memorial" for His wonders (Psalm 111:4), the righteous man becomes a memorial himself. His life leaves a mark on history that time cannot erase.

The fifth segment is: The Fixed Heart: Fearless in the Face of Bad News.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verses seven through eight.

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.  They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.

This is perhaps the most powerful section of the psalm for us today. We live in an age of 24-hour "bad news." Wars, rumors of wars, economic collapse, health scares—the "evil tidings" never stop.

But look at the godly person: "They do not fear bad news..."

Why? Is it because they are ignorant? Is it because they are stoics? No.

The Hebrew text says: "His heart is fixed (established), trusting in Yahweh."

This recalls Psalm One Hundred Eight, where David sang, "My heart is confident (fixed) in you, O God." The word nakon (fixed/established) means the internal foundation is settled. The bad news hits the ears, but it doesn't shake the heart, because the heart is anchored to something heavier than the news cycle.

Literally, "His heart is supported (samuch); he will not be afraid."

In Psalm 111:8, God’s commandments were "supported forever." Here, the man's heart is "supported." Do you see the connection? Because he leans on the unshakeable Word, his heart becomes unshakeable.

"...and can face their foes triumphantly." (Literally, "Until he looks upon his adversaries").

He doesn't run. He doesn't panic. He stands his ground until he sees the victory God has promised. This is the posture of a spiritual warrior who knows the outcome before the battle begins.

The sixth segment is: The Horn of Honor: The Final Disposition.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verse nine.

They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will last forever. They will have influence and honor.

The psalmist summarizes the life of this mirror-image man.

"They share freely and give generously to those in need." (Literally, "He has scattered abroad; he has given to the poor").

This is the same verb used for sowing seed. The godly man "scatters" his resources. He is a conduit, not a bucket.

And the result is exaltation: "They will have influence and honor."

The literal Hebrew is: "His horn shall be exalted with honor (glory)."

In the Ancient Near East, the horn was a symbol of strength, dominion, and vitality. Animals use horns to fight and to display dominance.

In the Divine Council worldview, God is the one who lifts up the horn of His anointed. By saying the godly man’s horn is exalted, the psalmist is saying that God gives him a share in the Divine Dominion. He is granted status and authority in the kingdom because he has used his power to serve the poor.

The seventh segment is: The Reaction of the Wicked: The Melting of Chaos.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve: verse ten.

The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

The psalm ends with a stark contrast. The "Wicked" (rasha) stands on the sidelines watching the blessed life of the Righteous.

"The wicked will see this and be infuriated." (Literally, "be vexed").

Why are they angry? Because the success of the righteous man proves them wrong. The wicked man believes in hoarding, in fear, and in self-preservation. When he sees someone "scattering" money and yet becoming wealthier, when he sees someone facing "bad news" without fear, it drives him crazy. It destroys his worldview.

Literally, "He shall melt away."

This is the ultimate fate of evil. It has no substance. The righteous man is "established," "fixed," and "supported." But the wicked man "melts."

"...their hopes thwarted." (Literally, "The desire of the wicked shall perish").

In the end, the anti-God agenda—the agenda of the serpent and his seed—comes to nothing. It dissolves. It is uncreated. Only that which reflects the character of Yahweh (righteousness, graciousness, justice) endures forever.

Psalm One Hundred Twelve presents us with a beautiful, challenging portrait.

It asks us: Whose image are you bearing?

If we look at Psalm 111, we see God:

If we look at Psalm 112, we see the person who fears God:

The goal of our life is to make these two lists look identical. We are called to be the visible evidence of the invisible God.

So today, as you walk your trek, check your reflection. Are you hoarding, or are you scattering? Are you panicking at the news, or is your heart fixed? Are you reflecting the chaos of the world, or the character of the King?

Be the light in the darkness. Let your "horn" be exalted not by pride, but by generosity. And leave a legacy that melts the wicked and blesses the generation to come.

If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of, ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.   As we take this Trek of life together, let us always: Live Abundantly.   Love Unconditionally.   Listen Intentionally.   Learn Continuously.   Lend to others Generously.   Lead with Integrity.   Leave a Living Legacy Each Day.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, reminding you to’ Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday! See you next time for more daily wisdom!