Trust and Fear

Today's Readings
Job 16-19 | 1 Corinthians 16 | Psalm 40:1-10 | Proverbs 22:1
Tomorrow's Readings

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3

The terms fear, and hope, or trust, do not seem at first view to harmonise; but David has not improperly joined them together; for no man will ever entertain the hope of the favour of God but he whose mind is first imbued with the fear of God. This fear in general means the feeling of piety which is produced in us by the knowledge of the power, equity, and mercy of God. Now, whoever submits cordially to the will of God will of necessity join hope with fear; especially when there is presented to his view the evidence of the grace by which God commonly allures all men to himself.
John Calvin

We are so accustomed to the fear that follows the cruelty of people who abuse power and glory, that we cannot conceive of a holy fear that sets its gaze upon the eternal and righteous God. But every time God saves us - whether it be the ultimate act of regenerating our sinful spirits from death to life, or the daily and seasonal displays of his providence, wisdom and strength in our lives - every time we are saved from calamity, we cannot help but be in awe of the wonderful and terrible power wrought on our behalf. Contrary to our modern psychology, fear is a healthy response to this: Awe trains our gaze upon the impossible brightness of his glory; fear reminds us that we are dust. If that were all there was to it, then we would hate him. If we remained in sin, and if we knew nothing of God's goodness, then we would know only fear and impotence; our weakness and cowardice would drive us to despise him, to undo him if such were possible. But we know more than the power of God; we know that he is good, blessing us in abundance and turning all the evil of life to our profit. In this knowledge we stand firm. It doesn not cancel fear, but strengthens it and balances it with confidence. God's power and goodness move us equally to fear and trust: for his works are awesome to behold, and they make glad the hearts of those who love all that is good and right and true.