Going Deeper

What are you afraid of? Terrorism? Climate change? Think about the things you fear, both worldwide and at a more intimate level. You might find it useful to make a list. Then quietly and thoughtfully read Psalm 33.

The people of Israel feared famine and war, two brutal realities in an agrarian society embroiled in constant boundary disputes. The psalmist encourages his contemporaries and us to rethink our fears.

The slickest strategies will fail without God’s endorsement (vs 10, 1 1), and the most impressive armies will flounder if God opposes them (vs 16–17). Let’s consider a more mundane example. It’s not the bars on my windows that keep robbers out: God keeps robbers out. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have bars on my windows. It’s about knowing where to place my trust and where to direct my praise when things go right. And if robbers do get in, they should worry about God’s response! As for me, I can still trust in him (vs 18–20).

Everything falls into place if we understand our relationship with our Creator. Sometimes we try to sugar-coat the ‘fear of the Lord’ (see vs 8,9), to our detriment. We want it to mean reverence or respect and, of course, it does. But, at its most fundamental level, it also means knowing who to be appropriately scared of. If we recognise God as the only one to be scared of (v 18), our other fears can recede.

Read Psalm 33 again and evaluate your list of fears. How does their power stack up against a God who made all the stars in the sky with a word, and who can carry the sea around in a bucket? Can their evil overwhelm the goodness of a God who loves you forever and stands beside you in all difficulties – even to the point of sacrificing his beloved Son to save you? Work through the list, asking the Lord to show you his perspective.