Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

Fear is an emotion that is often instinctual. A snake goes between your feet, a truck swerves into your lane, a text from your boss asking you to come to the office ... they all can initiate fearful responses. What do you fear? As we search the Scriptures, it is interesting that we find we are commanded not to fear and also to fear. On one hand, the most repeated command in the Scriptures is, "Do not be afraid." In fact, Paul writes that God has not given us a spirit of fear, and that we are to cast our anxieties on the Lord. On the other hand, over and over again, we are commanded to fear the Lord. Our Psalm today clearly states that those who properly fear Yahweh will be blessed. Our traveling song this morning is a wonderful reminder that the proper fear of God actually displaces our other fears, and leads to a path that is filled with God's presence and kindness. What our culture and country need now more than anything are a people who fear the Lord, and who pass the fear of God on to future generations.