See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
Psalm 128
In all the many translations that Scripture goes through from the original, sometimes it gets a little off. To me, the use of the word ‘fear’ here is a little off. I think the word ‘awe’ would be so much richer.
God is a loving God, he does not want us to live in fear of him. What parent wants their child to fear them all the time? How can you deepen a loving relationship with someone you fear? I tend to hold back a lot of what I would like to say or do or be when I am with people I fear. That’s not what God wants for us or from us.
To be in awe of someone brings with it respect and dignity. It also brings an openness to the other.
See how the Lord blesses those who are in awe of him.
When you are in awe of God, you look at all the things he does, all the things he creates, all the things around you with different eyes.
A tree is no longer just that thing growing in my yard that gives shade and dumps its leaves. It’s a magnificent example of God’s love. Look at all the shades of green in those leaves. Look at all the different shapes of the leaves and the intricate complex webbing of limbs and branches and twigs to get the leaves to where they can receive the sunlight so they can do the whole process of photosynthesis and make food for the tree to grow and flourish. And to think the root system under a tree is almost as big as the canopy! Those roots reach for water and other nutrients to feed the rest of the tree and to grab securely in the ground so the wind won’t blow it over in normal circumstances. And that tree is home to birds and bugs – creatures God has created. What a miracle in each tree! If it weren’t for the tree using the carbon in the air to make food, our whole air supply would be different and would drastically affect our ability to breathe.
What a blessing a tree is!
When we look at the ordinary things in our lives through the lens of being in awe of God, we see the blessings he gives us. He doesn’t bless us because we are in awe of him. Our being in awe of God allows us to see the blessings already there.
Put on your ‘AWE’ glasses today and see the blessings that surround you!