Rejoice! God is to be feared

As you read this, I should just about be landing in Entebbe, Uganda.  So, obviously I posted this before I left.  I can be proactive if I need to be.  However, I’m not as nuts as my wife, who has a scheduled blog post for just about every day that we’re on the trip.  What?!  Anyway, here’s the deal, I was reading Psalm 47 the other day and noticed something interesting. Here is is:

¹O clap your hands, all peoples;
Shout to God with the voice of joy.
²For the LORD Most High is to be feared,
A great King over all the earth.
³He subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.

Here’s what I noticed.  We shout to and rejoice in, and clap to God … not because of his love (though that’s part of it).  Not because of His mercy (though that’s part of it).  Not because of His grace (though that’s also part of it). But simply because He is the Lord Most High.  And He is to be feared.  Fear deserves awe and respect, but it also deserves clapping, shouting and rejoicing.  He is the great King over all the earth and He is to be feared.  So rejoice because He is to be feared!