Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 7: Psalms 119:33–130

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Psalm 128 with Cassiodorus – The Fear of the Lord Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him (v. 1). In his first words he has distinguished fear of the Lord from the terror of this world. His words— blessed are all who fear the LORD —reveal that those with troubled mind who are apprehensive of the world’s dangers in loss of temporal possessions are not blessed. These dangers make men wretched, torturing them with empty fear, so that they experience no growth but a reduction, no ascent but a headlong fall. By contrast, fear of the Lord is the offspring of love, is sprung from sweetness. What devoted fear, consoling the timid, refreshing the afflicted, experiencing no absence of joy unless the benefit of such fear is laid aside! Scripture says of this fear: “Come, my children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD” (Ps 34:11). How advantageous the fear is by which children are instructed, how splendid the training bestowed with sweet affection! But to prevent your believing that the Lord is perhaps only to be feared when he thunders, or sends lightning, or makes lands quake, or threatens death to lawbreakers, he added: who walk in obedience to him . Fear of the Lord not only causes us to abandon wicked deeds, but also establishes us as walking in the most upright faith; those people fear the LORD who walk in obedience and perform his commandments with devoted minds.