Psalm 119:120 | “My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.”

The psalmist responds to God not with casual reverence, but with genuine fear. The Hebrew word translated “fear” is pachad. It carries a sense of dread. The verb translated “trembles” is samar, a word that can describe the physical reaction of bristling or goosebumps. This is not just a quiet sense of awe. It is a visceral response to the reality of who God is. The psalmist understands that the judgments of God are perfect and just. He knows what he deserves apart from mercy. He also recognizes what awaits the wicked who persist in rebellion against God. This fear is not paralyzing but clarifying. It drives him to humility, dependence, and obedience. Citing another commentator, Tim Keller wisely notes, that the only way to be sure we are encountering the real God rather than a god of our own making is through the word. “The Bible is ‘the primary means by which God presents himself to us, in such a way that we can know him and remain in a faithful relationship with him.’” When we humble ourselves before God and his word, we are forced to reckon with a simple truth. He is God, and we are not. We must stand before him and allow him to speak for himself. If that reality does not awaken some measure of fear in us, then we have not yet understood him as we should.