Disobedience is Overrated!


Psalm 112
1 Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

So often we misunderstand the use of the word "fear" in the bible, when used in the context of the phrase, "the fear of the Lord".  We often interpret the word "fear" as being afraid or scared.  But in the biblical sense it usually means something more like "respect" or "awe".  In this passage the word is linked to finding delight in God's commands.  Usually we don't associate "delight" with obeying God's commands.  

We might be prone to think being obedient because of fear is always a bad thing.  But a healthy fear of the Lord is a good thing. Why?  Because God is holy and mighty, and we believe everything around us came into being by His command.  And maybe this is the sense in which we can delight in his commands.  If we truly believe God wants the best for us, then his commands are good for us.

1 John 5:3 says, "And his commands are not burdensome." I think one of the great myths of our time is that following or obeying God is a "drag". But look at what the psalmist says comes to the person who delights in God's commands.

1. Their children will be mighty in the land.
2. Wealth and riches are in their houses.
3. Good will come to them who are generous and lend freely.
4. They will never be shaken and remembered forever. 
5. They will have no fear of bad news, but will trust in the Lord.

Sounds like a pretty good life huh?  Maybe disobedience is overrated!

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