FEARING AND LOVING HIM
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, You alone are God. You alone are worthy of all worship. I bow before You now.
Read PSALM 76
1 God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.
2 His tent is in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.
4 You are radiant with light,
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5 The valiant lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared and was quiet—
9 when you, God, rose up to judge,
to save all the afflicted of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Here is the promise—in all danger God protects us, and either he will be with us or we will be with him, so all will be well” (Tim Keller).
Think Further
Psalm 76 portrays God as the divine warrior who dwells in Jerusalem (2–7) and as the judge who executes judgment (8,9). Having power (warrior) and justice (judge) as his attributes, Yahweh is acknowledged as the Supreme King by the kings of the
earth (10–12). Despite the difficulty in identifying the specific battle to which the psalm refers, its message echoes that of Habakkuk and Obadiah: Yahweh will fight against the Israelites’ enemies and bring justice to his people; he will be recognized as the King of kings.
One common point, which ties the warrior, judge and king metaphors together in this psalm, is the fear of God. When the Divine Warrior fights in battle, he is to be “feared” by his enemies and no one can stand in his wrath (7). When the Supreme Judge pronounces judgment from heaven, the land “feared and was quiet” (8). Tributes from all nations are brought to the “One to be feared” (11). He is “feared by the kings of the earth” (12). “Fear” here is more about fearsomeness or awesomeness than reverence or respect.
Even though Scripture relentlessly sketches the fearsome image of God, how much does it add to our sense of fearfulness towards him? Many of us may view God as a “loving daddy” or a “comfy teddy bear” rather than a “scary deity” of whom we ought to be afraid. It is time to have a more balanced perspective of God and thus a right attitude towards him. Let’s fear and yet love him: “O how I fear thee, living God, with deepest, most tender fears, and worship thee with
trembling hope, and penitential tears! Yet may I love thee too, O Lord, Almighty as thou art, for thou hast stooped to ask of me the love of my poor heart!” (Frederick William Faber, 1814–1863).
Apply
As you move into the coming week, try to do and see things with God’s awesomeness in mind. Then perhaps you will see how the Holy Spirit will transform you.
Closing prayer
“Take me deep… deeper into You; Lord I want to know You much more than I do. Take me higher until my spirit soars… till I’m only Yours” (Robert Newey).
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