The Psalm 112 PromiseSample

DAY 2: Live by the Fruit of the Spirit

“To the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man shows generous favor, and lends; he will guide his affairs with justice. Surely the righteous man shall not be moved; the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”—Psalm 112:4-6

The first two character traits we come across in Psalm 112 are grace and compassion. These relate to how the Psalm 112 man treats other people. It brings to mind what Jesus called the greatest commandment, which is to love God and to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39).

Being able to love God and love people has everything to do with the position of our hearts. In the New Covenant, we’ve come to see these as abilities that can only come as a result of being filled with the Spirit of God. Empowered by Him, we are able to be gracious, compassionate, and righteous, which categorically relate to the fruit of the Spirit. The nine fruit—love, joy, peace, patience (even temper), gentleness (or kindness), goodness (benevolence), faith (or faithfulness), meekness (also gentleness and humility), and self-control— can be summed up in how the Psalm 112 man displays grace, compassion, and righteousness.

Looking at these traits, we can see how they cross-relate to the fruit of the Spirit. These traits are demonstrated by a person who walks according to the Spirit of God, not a person subjected to his or her flesh.