Respectful Fear of Our Awesome God

Psalms 128:1-6
A Song of Ascents.

1 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.

2 When you eat the labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.

4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the LORD.

5 The LORD bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.

6 Yes, may you see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel!

We seem to have lost the fear of God, and replaced it with a God only of loving grace while neglecting to know His complete character.  Do we want this respectful fear and awe of standing before the Almighty as the Puritans often wrote about and which scripture bears witness of over and again?  As we sing songs ascending to the Lord’s house to worship, the word of God teaches us to respect Him as King and Sovereign Lord, not the boy next door we engage in casual conversation and levity.  The psalmist knew this and talks of the blessings, the happiness of enjoyment in the relationship based on the holiness and majesty of the LORD.  This motivates us to walk with Him, to live according to His word and honor Him in our willingness to do as He says.  Not forced willingness out of fear of tormenting punishment of hellfire (1 John 4:18), but of desired conformity to Christ as the image of God in which we were made - to holiness (Leviticus 11:44-45, 1 Peter 1:16).  There is therefore no place for licentious living with a low view of God’s character and commands, which are for our good.  This sanctifying work of God’s Spirit in us aligns us with that design and image as revealed in scripture, based on our clear understanding of who God is and who we are as His people.  Then we can enjoy the blessings He provides as verse two speaks of, eating from our good works in response to our salvation and not in a vain attempt to earn it.  That is our happiness and well being in Him and in our families.  By a right fear of God, we can worship with our lives as living sacrifices of self-denial as God-pleasers, wholeheartedly desiring to follow and conform to the image of Christ.  He will bless us with all His people in the midst of His congregation for as long as we live, as long as we put our sin to death (Romans 8:13 , Colossians 3:5) and follow faithfully as we trust and obey in love.  Yes, this is the peace beyond understanding among God’s people based on the biblical fear of God, not of the one who waits to smite us when we sin, but who desires that we smite the sin in us to be more like Him in holiness and righteousness as that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Oh, May we all learn to have this respectful fear of our awesome and sovereign God, not of being smited for sin, but in imitating Him.