The Works Of His Hands
Are Faithful And Just
Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to
the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the
congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in
them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures
forever. He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and
merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his
covenant. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the
heritage of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his
precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, to be
performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good
understanding. His praise endures forever.
Fearing God requires that we get
things in the proper proportion, like the fact that He is so much greater in
every way than we are. Fearing God means coming to grips with His love,
strength, wisdom, foresight, will and faithfulness.
But it is easy to miss the point when
we don’t stay close to God. The closer we get to Him, the more we realize how
much we are lacking, and how desperately we need His far greater wisdom to
direct our lives. Left to our little selves, we rarely do things right or the
right things. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that our
limited perspective is often wrong and sometimes can be destructive.
Wise people realize how little they
know and how much they need the great wisdom of God. The wise will recognize
their limitations and God’s unlimited power.