Psalm 128:4 –
That is the LORD’s blessing for those who fear him.
Once again we run into the word fear in an instance it doesn’t make sense. Verse 1 describes how joyful people are who fear the Lord. Verses 2 and 3 describe the fruits of this fear in the Lord. These all put together make me wonder if my initial definition of “fear” is correct.
The word “fear” is used throughout the Bible, most of the time my “definition” works. But in this case I have a tough time thinking about “joy” happening when I am in “fear”! Now I checked the dictionary to see if my idea of fear being a “distressing emotion” that cannot coincide with joy is correct. Dictionary.com gives me a few definitions that work here … “to have reverential awe of” … or “to revere; respect”. These definitions make sense to me when “fear” is used with “joy”!
Awe of the Lord is difficult these days when science has explained away much of what use to be “proof” God existed. So to give credit for your happiness and success to an unseen God is difficult these days. One must assume if you read these “Thoughts” each day, you are resolved in your relationship with God. But then again you may just be curious, either way the big key is how can you “prove” God exists?
Unfortunately, if someone does not believe, that “proof” is a difficult thing to explain, apart from parting Lake Lanier. Figures in the Bible had it “easy” with God talking to them directly or having miracles occur to prove God’s existence. Today we must rest on faith, which is difficult to explain to someone who thinks this is folly. I will end this with a personal question that I would like a response from YOU on … how do you explain God to someone who says it’s folly?