Stand in Awe of God’s Yes
I went for a long walk to clear my head after work. I tried to listen to music, but I just couldn’t find any songs I wanted to listen to. (Enneagram 4 problems!) I was tense and tired. I prayed for a few minutes, but I’m pretty sure all I did was complain. Since the Songs of Ascents are never far from my mind, I decided to listen to them on a Bible app on my phone. I listened to them twice, one time each in a different version/translation. Maybe it’s just the millennial in me, but sometimes I really connect to The Message version. I don’t read it exclusively, but I always read it when I need a dose of my own vernacular. I am not married, and I don’t have children. So when 128 comes up on shuffle, I usually kind of shrug and just skim through it. But on this particular night, as I listened to the words of it, I heard it differently.
This song is so uplifting and filled with generational blessings that I can only imagine it as a high-energy Hillsong United opener (Look up “Go” from Live from Miami, and you’ll know exactly what I mean). It mainly celebrates the faithfulness of those who dedicate their lives to the Lord. Several translations of the Bible refer to this as the fear of the Lord, but that does not actually mean being afraid of Him. (Trust me—He isn’t hiding behind the drapes waiting to jump out and say BOO.) It simply means putting Him first. He isn’t an afterthought to those who fear Him. He’s at the forefront of their minds.
When given the option to do something that would be displeasing to the Lord, the apostle Paul said it’s a pretty easy choice when God is your priority. He said, “His love constrains me.” To Paul, God’s love was such a powerful force in his life that he didn’t want to do anything that would hurt his relationship with God. That’s how I describe the fear of the Lord. It’s reverence and respect. It’s saying yes sir and no ma’am if you were raised in the South. If you weren’t, ask a Southerner. We all know how important that is.
This song talks about hard work and how it will be rewarded. Let’s be honest, sometimes fearing the Lord is the hard work. It isn’t always easy to stay focused on Him. With all the noise around us—social media, binge-worthy TV shows, 24-hour cable news, podcasts, etc.—it can be so hard to find a quiet moment with Him. I’m totally guilty of saying “Just one more episode” or “I’m just logging in to clear the notifications!” An hour will go by, then another, and before I know it, it’s time for bed, and I’m just too tired to read my Bible or pray. But, oh, friend, when you do share a sweet, quiet moment in His presence, you realize just how special that time can be. I’ve learned this in my own faith walk. I’ve discovered that is the level that unlocks the blessings this song talks about.
I’m not divulging top secret intel. There isn’t a cheat code for how to be more blessed. I don’t have a three bullet point list for you. Here’s what I’ve learned about blessings that come from fearing the Lord: it’s routine, it’s showing up, it’s coming back. That’s the hard work that will be rewarded. It’s taking a walk without your headphones so you can pray instead. It’s opening the Bible app on your phone instead of Facebook or Twitter. It’s recording your favorite show to watch later. Fearing the Lord requires discipline not a PhD in theology. Any of us can do it. In fact, all of us can do it. And here’s what is so sweet: He can’t wait for you to drop in. He is so excited to hear from you, and He is waiting to pour out blessings and reward you for being faithful.
So what are some of these blessings you can tap into?
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands = gainful employment
You shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you = favor
Your wife will be fruitful = prosperous and successful
Your children will be like olive shoots around your table = they will have promising futures
The very next verse in The Message translation stopped me in my tracks. I actually stopped and stood on the side of the street for a minute to process it.
Stand in awe of God’s yes.
I was discouraged. My short prayer time earlier on this walk was a clear indicator. I had said, “Lord, I’m so tired of feeling dejected and being rejected.” I thought it sounded clever when I said it, but I knew the truth behind it was more than a sassy rhyme. This particular season of my life had been filled with rejection. A very dear former pastor used to say, “Rejection is God’s protection.” While I believe that to be true, rejection had really started to wear me down and just the thought of being rejected made me not want to try anything ever again. A little dramatic? Yes, but also very honest.
That sentence washed over me like a refreshing rain on a hot summer day. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I listened to the rest of the sacred songs, but that one line was stuck on repeat for hours after that walk.
Stand in awe of God’s yes. What could that possibly mean when I felt like everything I prayed for, hoped for, and tried again for felt like a big NO? I started thinking of ways to apply it to my own life. I am not married, and I don’t have any children besides my Yorkie daughter Bella Clark. So what does God’s yes look like for me if I’m looking through the lens of this song? What does it look like for you? Do you get stuck on the noes like I do? I am very sad to admit that I get so far in the weeds of all the unanswered prayers of my life that sometimes I forget to stand in awe of God’s yeses.
It’s easy to complain about the job I have, but I’m actually very thankful to be employed. This job was a gift from God when I needed one so badly, and He used a person I didn’t even get along with to hire me. I can truly say I am eating the fruit of my labor.
What about you? Let’s look at that list of blessings again.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands = gainful employment
You shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you = favor
Your wife will be fruitful = prosperous and successful
Your children will be like olive shoots around your table = they will have promising futures
Are you experiencing the favor of the Lord? If you are making Him a priority, there is a very good chance that you are. Start looking for that yes.
Sometimes a no will overpower every yes in the room, but make no mistake—there is definitely a yes for you to stand in awe of. Make a list of things you are thankful for. It’s a simple exercise, but it yields amazing results. It brings into focus the things that matter most. It could be that you love your job. Or maybe it’s that your little ones finally sleep through the night. Maybe your side hustle is thriving and bringing you so much joy and extra income. It could be your group of friends that encourage and celebrate you. You might have to weed through the no’s to find a yes, but once you do, stand in awe of it.
God is blessing your life. He is. Our Father is so loving and so kind. He loves to bless His children. The Bible doesn’t say that He is a punisher of those who diligently seek Him. Not even close! It says that He is a rewarder of those who do.
This song wraps up with a blessing that extends to a third generation: May you live to see your grandchildren. So much is encapsulated in this promise: long life, health, prosperity for your children. What an encouraging thought that we have all of these blessings at our fingertips if we just stay the course on this faith walk.
For the single folks who might be confused by all the talk of wives and babies, I was confused too. I want to make clear that these actual things/persons are blessings and rewards for fearing the Lord. If you are still longing for a spouse or for children of your own, keep trusting and keep asking. But another way to look at this is from a spiritual angle. You can serve others who are not as far in their faith walk as you are and love them as spiritual children. Encourage and disciple them as the Lord leads you to. Make yourself available to bless others until those blessings are fulfilled for you personally. Shifting focus makes seeing the yeses a little easier.
Keep looking for those yeses even if all you see is noes. Some days, it may be so obvious that all you can do is take a praise break in your laundry room. But on the days that the pain of rejection is so palpable, look for a yes to thank Him for. Keep showing up. Keep coming back. He is so ready to bless you.
