PSALM 34 FEAR THE LORD AND BE SCARED OF NOTHING

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

¹ I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
² My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
³ Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
¹³ keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
²¹ Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Like the proverbial horse that can be led to water but not made to drink, humans are offered salvation but cannot be forced to experience the gift. However, God is merciful and steadfast in his love for us, so he urges us to taste, to sample the gift and see that it is good. While we taste food and drink with our mouths, we sample the life-giving relationship with God by living according to his will. That is what it means to fear God. We are not to obey God because we are scared of the possible consequences of doing otherwise. Our obedience is to be based on the awe that comes from acknowledging who he is and conforming our lives to his will due to our overwhelming respect for and gratitude to him.

God is the righteous man’s “refuge,” is attentive to his “cry,” and delivers him from his “troubles.” Such a description precludes the motive of worldly prosperity and peace as the reason for obeying God. We live in a world that is in open rebellion against God, and we can expect that once we are identified with God we can expect to be attacked as enemies of the world. In addition, suffering is the universal experience of human beings in this world. No one gets out of this life unscathed and alive. But the righteous man is the one who experiences the company and comfort of God in the furnace and in the valley of the shadow of death. And it is when it really counts, in the Day of Judgment, that those who are in the company of God will live and those who are not will be condemned.

Thank you, Lord for the offer to sample your love and mercy in my life. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to take the cup of salvation and drink from it each day of my life. Give me a thirst for your will and your word that can only be slaked by living in obedience to you. May I seek you and not a “better” life or to avoid punishment. Grow my faith through the practice of obedience to your will. Amen.