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| “…the Lord has compassion on those who fear him…” |
| —Psalm 103:13b |
The word “fear” is used in two distinct ways in Scripture: “to be afraid” and “to demonstrate respect.” This latter usage seldom appears in our day-to-day language.
This respect is born from a realization that the person or object that we “fear” has awesome power.
In the winter of 1968, I traveled with four other officers from the Houghton (NY) Fire Department to Elmira Heights (NY) to take delivery of Houghton 2Truck1 or 2T1. This was a Ward LaFrance fire truck (as opposed to a “fire engine”) with a 65 ft. High Ranger aerial platform, a 1,000 gallons-per-minute Hale pump, 212 ft. of ground ladders, and 1,000 ft. of 2 1/2-inch fire hose. It also had 150 ft. of quick-attack 1 1/2-inch hose arranged in a Mattydale-style hose bed and 150 ft. of one-inch booster hose on a motorized-rewind reel. It was powered by a 500 hp gasoline engine with an Allison HD-70 automatic transmission. It was ten-feet wide and 46 1/2-feet long. It cost $78,000.
The duties of Training Officer for this new rig were added to my duties as fire marshal and engine company captain. I had to teach other department members how to use this magnificent new rig.
At first, everyone on the fire department wanted to learn how to drive this monster and operate the aerial platform. But, after a few minutes behind the wheel, some said they “feared” this rig. They weren’t afraid of it hurting them. No, they were filled with awe and respect at it’s power.
After all, whenever you turned a corner, the turning wheels were ten feet behind you—a very different experience from driving a car or a normal truck.
So, “fear” can mean “deep respect born out of an understanding of awesome power.”
This helps us understand the words of the Psalmist found in Psalm 103:13:
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
Surely we “Christ’s-ones” have deep respect for the awesome power of God. As a result, God has great compassion toward us.
May this day in our lives be marked by God’s overwhelming compassion and unfailing love. And, may we rejoice with great thanksgiving that we belong to Him.
