God Is Great; We Are Wise – Psalm 111

A text – Psalm 111

111:1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

111:2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

111:3 Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.

111:4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful.

111:5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.

111:6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.

111:7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

111:8 They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

111:9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.

111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.

A reflection:

Here is the psalm that puts into words the consequences of revering the Lord, our theme from Wednesday’s Psalm 34 reflection.

All the things God has done are great, full of majesty, enduring forever, gracious and merciful: God’s providing food, being mindful of his covenant, his promises, God’s showing power and giving his people heritage of the nations, being faithful and just in his creations, trustworthy in his precepts, sending redemption, keeping his eternal promises.  This is why we should fear and revere the Lord – because he has done all these things. And because by revering God, we begin to behave the way God wants us to behave, which is good for everybody.

The psalmist never says “Fear God or else!” We don’t fear the Lord in order to be saved. We have already been created and redeemed, already saved by the Lord. We fear and revere God because of what God has already done, to stay as close as possible to the God who loves us, no matter what is going on in our lives.

When I was young my friend Alice often invited me over to her house for a meal. Her family said the table grace, “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” This grace is a simple version of “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,” I think. And I’m sure Alice’s parents wanted their kids to know that truth even when they could only repeat one-syllable words.

If you believe God is the author of all goodness, and that God keeps God’s promises, and that God loves you, then you are already wise. You know what you need to know. If you return to God to acknowledge these things every day, you will live a wiser life than most. And you will be more than willing to love your neighbor with the same generosity God has shown to us all.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being our creator and our caretaker. Thank you for providing for us every day. Help us to remember you always with thanksgiving, and to be who you call us to be. Amen.