A holy reverence for God leads to a healthy respect for others. This, says the psalmist, is happy living.
Psalm 128 describes the happy results (the real meaning of “blessed”) when a person “fears the Lord” and, as evidence of this, “walks in His ways” (v 1). What does it mean to fear Him? The Hebrew yârê’ can mean what we normally think of as fear—“a sense of dread that someone or something is dangerous.” It’s the rare person who doesn’t know what fear is. But now the fear of God can be wonderfully transformed in us. It’s the Lord’s desire that we experience the truth that His “perfect love casts out [foreboding] fear” (1 Jn 4:18). It’s a deeply-felt awe that the psalmist is describing, a reverence that touches every aspect of our lives. So what’s the evidence that your deepest thoughts hold your highest appreciation of God? First, you realize that your purpose on earth is to be a faithful steward of the time and energy God gives you. Because you take Him seriously, you take your resources seriously. Every moment and opportunity is precious because they are given as a gift by Him. Simply put, “When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you” (v 2). This allows you to be a faithful provider for your family, giving your wife a protected place in the home to flourish “like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house,” and your children as new shoots sprouting from the roots of the old tree (if you forgive the expression!), “like olive plants all around your table” (v 3). All this because you take your relationships seriously. Finally, we read, “The Lord bless you out of Zion” (v 5), but here “bless” means “to be congratulated.” Since you take Him seriously, you also take your responsibilities seriously, and positively impact both those in your city and in your family, even to “children’s children” (v 6).