After Jesus performs a miracle — healing a paralytic man (see Matthew 9:2-8) — the people were fearful of God, yet full of praise at the same time (this precise wording is not apparent in all translations — see the New Living Translation or the Amplified Bible).
Although it seems like a paradox to simultaneously fear God and praise him, perhaps this is a view we should adopt.
Yes, there are reasons to fear him, but they must be carefully balanced with praising him. It may be in the midst of that balance that we are able to best connect with him.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
