When we are caught up in the beauty and perfection of something, we can’t help but praise it. From a friend or spouse, to a sunset or an artistic work, we are moved to praise that which we love.

In Psalm 111, the psalmist exudes praise for the steadfast love of God who shows love by feeding the people, by remembering the covenant, by providing redemption, and by acting on behalf of the people. Praise flows from the psalmist for God’s majesty and splendor, God’s power and trustworthy works. Following an acrostic format, the psalm highlights for the people the character of the God they worship.

The awe and perfection of our Creator can either distance us from God through fear or draw us toward God in love. The fear spoken of in Psalm 111:10 is not the fear that limits the fullness of our lives. Instead, “fear of the LORD” is a reverence and awe for God’s authority and power, which leads us to worship.

Yet God has come near. The Lord has made a covenant with Israel and has sustained the covenant with redemptive works of provision and sustenance. God has given God’s people a place and a trustworthy foundation for all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Through God's goodness, the Creator has drawn the people to worship.

How we ultimately view God will affect whether or not we are drawn toward intimate worship. Helpfully, the psalm also identifies where this reverent worship takes place: in the congregation. As we stay tethered to a community of believers in the church, we hear the good covenantal deeds of our God week by week. There we come to rehearse, sing, and praise our good God.