- (AMP) Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
- Psalm 144:15b (NLT) Happy indeed are those whose God is the LORD.
God wants His followers to be happy. God tell us many times how to be happy.
The word translated "blessed" has suffered the agony of tradition adjusting translation. Kings gave their blessing to subjects and that concept gave birth to our concept of that a blessing comes from someone of a higher estate doing something nice -- fulfilling a need -- for those who are not so fortunate. Blessing then is dependent on people.
The word is better understood as "happy," or even, "lucky." Happiness is very different. It's not about position; it is about being satisfied in your position. It is about how we humans relate to our creator. It is about who is our god. Our happiness is not dependent on anyone else but us.
The writer tells us that happiness is found in fear - interesting. Not cowering fears that will shackle all of life. Not a fear that destroys. This is a fear that provides life. Adam and Eve did not "fear" God when He told them the consequence of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And, in fact, they did not "drop dead" on the spot (which may explain why Adam willingly ate of the tree). He was living by "sight" and right then, did not fear the consequence of his sin. I can relate. I live by sight far too often. Besides, our culture has told us that we don't want to "fear" anyone or anything. We want to be autonomous - our whole culture breeds people who do not really "fear" authority. After all, we have nothing to fear, but fear itself. Our courts and judicial process have made a mockery out of consequence of actions, and now many criminals have no fear - as Nike would want us all to live. Our courts are supposed to be a model for Godly government, have confused right from wrong, life from death, just from unjust. They have lost their fear of the ultimate judge - the one who will judge them for their lack of righteous judgment.
I have seen some CEOs who fear no person - including the Board - and live with the misconception that the Golden Parachute that they negotiated is a Teflon coating to do as they please. Why did we have Enron, etc.? One reason is that the CEOs did not fear God, let alone the Board.
Christian business people aren't like that. Right? Wrong. Doing it my way and not God's way is sin. Any sin is an act of the hardening of one's heart. Period. No exceptions. My way hardens me. It "makes himself insensible to sin, and so he will not repent" as one commentator puts it. A "wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil..." (Pr14: 16) because the consequence to a hardening of the heart is trouble--real fear.
Know God. No Fear. Fear God. Know happiness.
Copyright (c) 2006 by P. Griffith Lindell
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