Psalm 33: 8-9, 18-19
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him,
9 for he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.18 Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death
and to keep them alive in famine.
Let’s focus on the word fear in this Psalm. We often define the word fear to mean terror, horror, and something associated with being afraid. It makes it hard to think of our God of love to be a being that brings up terror and fear. Rather, fear can also mean deep awe, respect and reverence. Changing how we understand the word fear changes the whole tone of this Psalm. It isn’t telling us to be scared of God but rather to be in deep relationship with God.
There is often a lot to be afraid of in this world. When we turn on the news, we are filled with images of horrible things that have happened to our neighbors and others around the world. Between natural disasters, violence and problems that seem unsolvable, there is much to be afraid of but God is not one of those things. God is the constant that brings peace in rough waters. No matter what happens in the whirlwind of life, this Psalm reminds us that God is steadfast keeping us going.
Prayer
God of steadfast love, thank you for being a constant presence in our life. We are grateful through the scary things of this world that you are not something to fear. Rather you are a God of comfort who provides unspeakable feelings of safety and security. In Jesus name, Amen.