With the start of a new year comes reflection of the past and dreams for the future. The psalms I want to talk about today have guided me as I reflect on the last year and dream up what the future could hold. When I read Psalm 111 and 112 together, a beautiful picture unfolds that I have continued to return to the last six months. God is like no one else when you look at his character and faithful works. He is unmatched. We are also going to see how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of a life of abundance.

In my ESV Bible the title of Psalm 111, “Great Are the Lord’s Works” gives away the point of the psalm. It is about listing specific works of God that he did for Israel. In a similar way, I made a list of specific ways God answered prayers in my life over the last year. Maybe after reading Psalm 111, you jot down a list too. This is the reflection piece as we prepare for a new year to look back on where we were and how God led us here. Some of the ways the psalmist describes the works of God include majestic, gracious, merciful, faithful, and trustworthy. I love the specific mention of manna in verse 5 because the original audience could probably close their eyes and hear their ancestors retell the memory of how they woke up each morning to gather manna for the day that God sent down to earth specifically for their provision.

If you have read about Israel in the Old Testament, you remember they are not a faithful people, but God is always faithful. In Psalm 111:9, there is rejoicing for Israel and for all that believe in Jesus the Son of God. God sends Jesus to redeem Israel from their perpetual cycle: love God, do good works, rebel against God with idol worship, and perform rituals and sacrifices to be right with God again. This was the exhausting life of Israel year after year. Jesus comes as the sacrifice, once for all, to set free all who receive the gift of salvation. The people of God no longer exhaust themselves with “doing enough” or “being good enough” because Jesus is enough. Jesus is the redeemer that covers you and me in his perfect work on the cross and resurrection from the grave.

How does the psalmist instruct the people of God to respond to God’s redemption? Read Psalm 111:10. This verse connects Psalm 111 to Psalm 112. The answer is to fear the Lord. Before I lose any of you, jump to Psalm 112 to read the abundance that comes for the person that fears the Lord. All throughout the Bible, God shows how a life of reverence in him translates to trust and obedience. In Exodus 20:20, the fear of the Lord leads Israel to obey God. I found Psalm, Proverbs, and Isaiah talk a lot about the fear of the Lord. Spend time reading on your own and see what God teaches you. In my life, I am learning the fear of the Lord becomes more awe-filled the closer I follow him. The more I know God my love grows and I want to respond with a willing heart to trust and obey God. Some days are easier than others.

It was helpful to read what the interlinear study says about the transformation of a life that fears the Lord: the heart is softened by God’s glory, the mind acknowledges God’s authority, and the life willingly says yes to God’s ways. I want my life to look more like that. This is the piece of dreaming for the future. How can my life look more like the person described in Psalm 112? Hope described in Psalm 112:4 grounds the person to not be defeated by darkness but pray for the light of Jesus to push back darkness. There is a thread of willingness woven in the characteristics of the person that fears the Lord. A few of the characteristics that stand out are merciful, generous, just, and steady. Do you see the correlation between the works of God in Psalm 111 and the life of a person that fears the Lord in Psalm 112? When you and I live in a healthy fear of the Lord, our lives reflect God. We do away with trying to “do enough” or “be enough” on our own. Instead, our lives are satisfied in God’s works and the finished work of Jesus, that frees us to trust and obey wherever God leads us.

As the new year begins, have you spent time reflecting on the past and dreaming about the future? Maybe a few answered prayers come to mind on how God worked in your life the past year. My prayer is the fear of the Lord draws you into a deeper relationship with him that gives you eyes to see the abundant life found only in Him.

Question: What does the fear of the Lord mean to you? Is it different than what the Bible says? Ask God to show you how to live in reverence to him and open your eyes to see God’s works all around you.

Additional reading: Psalm 5:7, Proverbs 9:10, Isaiah 33:5-6