Written in 2015
Psalm 34:9 “Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.”
[The call here, the command, is to fear God–to be so in awe of the Powerful Creator, the Faithful Ruler, the Righteous King of glory, that we reject our natural responses and obey Him instead, trusting His wisdom, knowledge and goodness.
It means caring deeply what He thinks and thereby rejecting what I or others think when it is different. It is submitting our will, our emotions and our intellect to Him and His Word (which is one definition of humility). If we do this, the promise is that we will lack nothing.
That is a huge all-encompassing promise: everything I need will be given! This, of course, is an echo of Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…,” which also implies surrender to Him as Lord.
Part of fearing God is accepting that He knows what we actually need. This may be getting what we personally desire, or the opposite. For us right now, it means my wife being sick with chronic Lyme’s Disease, suffering weakness, pain, confusion and depression (she has since been cured of this). In the midst of this Jesus is with us, shepherding us, equipping us, using us.
Part of fearing God is believing His Word, knowing that He has a plan in our pain: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jer.29:11).
Help us, Lord, to grow in fearing you, to rest in your greatness, to do what is pleasing to you, to reject the pressures of people, the pull of our own hearts to complain and instead do what is on your heart, praising you in all.
I praise you, Lord, for your faithfulness in graciously tying us to yourself, in making us to be dependent on you , which includes allowing us to grieve you when we disbelieve and disobey.
In exchange for surrender, you give us much joy as we see you answer prayer, grant us your wisdom, lead us aright, demonstrate your faithfulness and display your might.
Help us to consistently fear you today and forever, to walk in faith and trust during our present period of problems, resting in your goodness and waiting for your wise timing to bring your desired future.]