The word ‘blessed’ is a tricky little thing when we come across it in Psalms and Proverbs. It’s easy to read verses like these in isolation and think that there is an automatic link between obedience and blessing (v 1). But that is the mistake Job’s friends made: experience and the rest of the Bible tell us that the world is more complicated than that.

Psalms like this one remind us how the world should be, and one day will be: when God has removed evil and sin and brought the justice we’ve been reading about in Zephaniah. They are prayers, not theological essays.

But they also show us what God wants from his people: ‘fear’ (vs 1,4) – not ‘being afraid’ but showing respect and humility before our Lord, worshipping only him; ‘walk in obedience’ (v 1) – living life his way not ‘my’ way, denying ourselves for the sake of Jesus and the gospel; ‘labour’ (v 2) – not necessarily paid employment, but serving God faithfully wherever we find ourselves.

This psalm paints a picture of someone who maintains their focus on God without forgetting the world around. Such a person is ‘whole’ and ‘complete’ (that’s what shalom peace really means – v 6). This is true blessing: true prosperity.