Psalm 34:9-14 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 34:9-14 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want.
Verse 10The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Verse 11Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Verse 12Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good?
Verse 13Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
Verse 14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Devotion
Fear of the Lord is among the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. All too often, the powerful have wrapped their bullying behavior in the warped idea that real respect is earned and kept by threat of violence. This is lamentable foreign policy, and a foolhardy recipe for relationships of any kind.
It also translates into a cruel and club-like theology, so please stop suggesting that God works this way. God’s otherness is enough, my friends. It is we who use threats of hell and the pressure of judgment to advance agendas and strong-arm those we see as stubborn.
The Psalmist invites us away from evil, deceit and conflict, into an awesome and awe-filled search for God—an exploration of God’s will that, assuredly, will not leave us unchanged. We walk this path in trembling trust, comforted by the promise that those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you satisfy the hungry heart and the seeking spirit with the gift of your own self. Our fear is that we are unworthy of such grace, and yet we desire life. We covet many days to enjoy the good. Make us bold to love you, to seek your will in all things. Teach us to tremble not in terror, but joy. Save us from the traps our tongues and lips lay for us. May we pursue your peace. Amen.