What We Look Through Matters

“Let the whole earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.” (Psalm 33:8-9, CSB)

I’ve worn glasses for as long as I can remember. I think I was eight or nine when I got my first pair and they were the gold circle-rimmed glasses (if your first thought was Harry Potter you are right on track). They were extremely uncool. In all the years I’ve worn glasses I never really think about the fact that I am looking through something to see everything else with clarity. However, if my glasses are broken, I am deeply aware that my vision is deeply impacted. If I don’t want to see broken things, I need to make sure my lens isn’t broken.

Friend, what we look through matters. In Psalm 33:8-9 the Psalmist calls for all of us to “fear the Lord” and the emphasis is on all of creation. Not a subset, not just those who follow Jesus, not just the holy or righteous but the whole earth, all the inhabitants of the world ought to stand in awe of him. This is especially true for followers of Jesus. The fear of the Lord should be the lens that we look through. And the way we stay in a place of fear and reverence to the Lord is in humility before him. When this happens we will see God in all his glory and beauty. We will also see ourselves rightly and learn how to relate to others appropriately. Here are three reasons we should “fear God.”

1. To “fear God” is to be in awe of him. It isn’t debilitating fear, but holy reverential fear (Mal. 2:5). We fear God out of love, knowing that whatever we love will be what we long for. This will bring us to either ruin or restoration.
2. To “fear God” is to be trained in wisdom (Ps. 111:10, Prov. 9:10). While we can accrue much knowledge, wisdom is the application of knowledge in a way that brings us and others health and wholeness.
3. To “fear God” is to be oriented toward what is good and turn away from evil (Prov. 8:13, 16:6). If we learn to see and receive what is beautiful and good, we will also be trained to identify and reject what is evil and wrong.

Ultimately, whatever we look through will lead us to become something. It will shape us and form us. So what are you looking through? Do you see the world in light of first seeing God and being in awe of Him? Or do you see the world through the lens of human fear, leaving you unstable and shaky? Let’s make today a marked moment in our lives. One where we choose stand in wonder of a good God who created everything with the breath of His Word. Who sustains all things in and through Christ Jesus, His Son. Who empowers you and me to live a life of holiness through His personal presence – the Holy Spirit.

Let’s end our time with a simple practice you can do now or at a later time. This will help posture your heart to be in awe and reverence before God.

1. Go outside and put your bare feet on the grass.
2. Look up into the sky and marvel at the clouds, the sun, or if it’s night, the stars and the moon.
3. Take a deep breath and pray this very simple prayer:

“Wow. God, you truly are magnificent in every way. You are holding the earth together that is under my feet. You are keeping the sky, sun, stars, and moon in place that is above my head. And I don’t have to worry about any of this because you are in control of it all. Keep me in this place of awe and wonder throughout my day. Amen.”