Thoughts for the Day

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honour and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures for ever.
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established for ever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant for ever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practise it have a good understanding.
His praise endures for ever.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Who during your life have you held in great esteem or awe? Not those feelings we attached to a pop star when we were teenagers, but perhaps someone who had authority over us like a Headmaster or Headmistress. Or perhaps someone in authority at work whom we admired, but nevertheless would have been concerned if we were called to their office for some reason or other. Hold onto these thoughts to get a hint (and it's only a hint) of the feeling we might have about God when we think of the words of the last verse of this acrostic psalm: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom".

Our world seems full of people who believe they have control over their own life, without the need for God. Often this only changes when some life threatening disaster occurs. Psalm 111 calls us to recognise that we are to "fear the Lord", but unfortunately the word "fear" doesn't sit easily with us. Does it mean, we wonder, that we should be terrified of God? If we look at the word "fear" in Hebrew though, we discover it has a number of meanings. For instance it can mean "awe" or "reverence" as well as "to be afraid".

So a better understanding of the phrase "the fear of the Lord" would be to say that as God's people we are to hold Him in awe for all that He is - Creator, Redeemer, and Provider - and we are to praise and worship Him. That is the beginning of wisdom! But we are not be fearful of turning to Him for help, for He has stretched out His arms to us as His beloved children.

Lord God,
as our Creator, Redeemer, and Provider,
we praise and magnify You.
As our Father in Heaven
we approach You with humble confidence,
trusting in the promises made
by Your Son, Jesus Christ,
that You want us to travel this journey
with You.
May we continue to grow in faith
and in wisdom with Your assistance,
throughout our life.
Amen.