Happiness, trust in others, joy, and peace come the fear of the Lord. This sounds like a contradiction. How can peace come from fear? Because the fear of God means that we grasp his greatness and holiness and are humbled in awe of all that he is and all that we are not. This leads to a holy, healthy fear that orders our lives in joy and peace.
The Psalms are built on one great foundational truth: God rules over the earth. Blessed or joyful is the man who turns away from the world and delights in the law and fear of God. The Psalms also teach that the appropriate fear of God must always come first. The fear of the Lord brings wisdom and joy. Wisdom and joy are two good things that you want for your children! Psalms 111 & 112 state the blessings of the fear of the Lord as leading to wisdom, joy, and delight in obeying God. When God is recognized for who he is then life is at last understandable.
Notice how Psalm 111 ends and Psalm 112 begins:
The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his
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