angela hormberg

Tag: Blessing

  • Proverbs 10:22

    Proverbs 10:22

    The Blessing of the Lord

    Commonplace –

    “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22)

    In Proverbs 10:22, Solomon tells us where wealth can be found: it is in the blessing of the Lord. Further, the Lord’s blessing does not have any sorrow with it. It’s all goodness and nothing bad. This is a blessing.

    This verse hits home this morning. My little cat, who has been such a sweet blessing to our family, is not feeling well. It really began yesterday. He is lethargic and not interested in eating and drinking. So, I am preparing to take him to the vet this morning, and, as I do so, I am saying a prayer and hoping for the best. I love this cat. He is fun and playful and everyone in our family enjoys him. We were given him by a lady who rescues cats. He was one of a litter of kittens, the last one left. He had a limp and no one else wanted him, so he did not get picked. I love a good comeback story, so we took him. The limp ended up being nothing, probably a bad scratch from a fight. He healed up and settled in so perfectly with us. He is just so easy. Now, after two years with him, it is hard to think about not having him around. He is a blessing that comes with potential sorrow. Hopefully, that sorrow is not today.

    So, when I read this psalm, I am encouraged. It is wonderful to know that the Lord’s blessing comes without any sorrow. It’s eternal and good. That sounds like some pretty good news to me.

    Matthew Henry words it so beautifully in his Commentary:

    In Proverbs 22, we are told “what that wealth is which is indeed desirable, not having abundance only, but having it and no sorrow with it, no disquieting care to get and keep it, no vexation of spirit in the enjoyment of it, no tormenting grief from the loss of it, no guilt contracted from the abuse of it – to have it and to have a heart to to take the comfort of it, to do good with it and to serve God with joyfulness and gladness of heart in the use of it” (694).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 10:22.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

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    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 2

    Psalm 2

    Commonplace –

    “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

    Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:10-11).

    The writer opens with a question: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” What is this vanity? The writer is referring to people who reject God. This is an interesting follow up to Psalm 1, a psalm of instruction, which lays out the choice all men have between good and evil. In Psalm 2, the writer gives the reader a glimpse of life for those who choose evil; they will be punished for their evil actions. The psalmist ends with an entreaty to the reader to make the good choice, “Be wise therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:10-11).

    The result of choosing to follow God is a blessing: “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:12b). Notice, the psalmist doesn’t say “Blessed will be“. This is important, because the blessing is present. One does not have to wait for it to happen; those who follow God are blessed in the present moment in the act of following God. The blessing is the peace that comes from doing the right thing.

    It is also important to note the Messianic message in this psalm: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but little” (Psalm 2:12a). Here we are introduced to the Son of God and our need of Him. Allegiance to Him is a necessary element in choosing the good path. Matthew Henry notes this in his comments:

    “As the foregoing psalm was moral, and showed us our duty, so this is evangelical, and shows us our Saviour. Under the type of David’s kingdom (which was of divine appointment, met with much opposition, but prevailed at last) the kingdom of the Messiah, the son of David, is prophesied of, which is the primary intention and scope of this psalm” (196).

    Further on, Henry continues:

    “This psalm, as the former, is very fitly prefixed to this book of devotions, because, as it is necessary to our acceptance with God that we should be subject to the precepts of his law, so it is likewise that we should be subject to the grace of his gospel, and come to him in the name of a Mediator” (196).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 2.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 115

    Psalm 115

    Commonplace –

    Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

    The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.

    He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great” (Psalm 115: 11-13).

    Psalm 115 begins with declaring God should receive glory for His mercy and for the sake of truth, which He upholds. The psalmist then considers the heathen and asks, ‘Where is there God?’ and proceeds to call out the the gods of the heathens, which are made of man made materials. The heathen gods are fashioned in the image of man with mouths and hands and feet, but they cannot speak or feel or walk. They are empty, the men that make them are like them. The God of Heaven was not made but is the Maker of all things; He was not formed by man but formed man. And for this reason, the psalmist pleads for God’s followers to trust Him, to remember all He has done for His followers.

    Matthew Henry notes, this psalm teaches us to “to give glory”. Henry encourages the church to “place her confidence in God, and triumph in doing so; and with such a holy triumph we ought to sing this psalm” (Henry 548).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 115.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg