Listen

God’s handiwork is honesty and justice; all God’s rules are trustworthy—they are established always and forever: they are fulfilled with truth and right doing. God sent redemption for his people; God commanded that his covenant last forever. Holy and awesome is God’s name! Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins; sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws. God’s praise lasts forever!

Psalm 111:7-10

Think

As the psalmist continues to teach about God, we learn that God’s Lordship is characterized by honesty, justice, and trustworthiness. These would be good attributes for anyone in authority! Unlike human authority, however, God’s authority never ends. Our text’s last verse contains a phrase that is often misunderstood: “Fear of the Lord.” The call for God’s people to practice the fear of the Lord is not meant to make them afraid of God. No, the fear of the Lord in the Hebrew scripture refers to our obedience of God because the Lord is awesome. The Lord of the universe loves us! When we follow the teachings of God found in the good news brought by Jesus, we are truly wise. At the core of those teachings is love. So, it is not surprising that Jesus’ follower John wrote, “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18). We don’t obey God because we are afraid of what might happen otherwise. We obey God because of God’s love for us and our love for God.

LaMon Brown

Question to Ponder:

How is God’s authority different from other forms of authority in the world?

Pray

Help me, Lord, to live a life that is true and right.

Amen.

Go

I live today in the love and truth of my Lord, Jesus Christ.