Proverbs 19:23. The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Once again Proverbs returns to its main theme – the fear of the Lord. In Hebrew the first line has no verb (leads). It simply says The fear of the Lord life. Life is not the reward for fearing God. Fearing God is life. What is real life? What is true living? Fearing God. Trusting him. Loving him. Worshiping him wholeheartedly. Simply put, you can’t experience life as God intended apart from faith in God.
And what is life as God intended? Resting satisfied.
The word rest used here is the broader word for dwell, or lodge. The person who fears the Lord has found a place to live inside of God’s love. In God he dwells secure. Here’s the same word in Psalm 91:1.
Psalm 91:1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
The good life of God, the abundant life of Christ, is one of rest. It is one of complete satisfaction. For those that are in Christ we can understand this truth even more clearly. Knowing that every sin debt has been satisfied by Christ sacrifice for us on the cross, leaves us resting inside of that satisfaction. God’s satisfaction. If God is satisfied, and we are in God through Christ, and God is in us by the Spirit, then we too can and must live in the restful satisfaction of our salvation. The pressure is off. Amen.
The last line of the proverb goes on to make a pretty big promise – he will not be visited by harm. Of course all of us have been harmed in this life. So in what way is this proverb true?
The word harm used here might be better translated as evil. Something much bigger than the daily struggles, accidents and incidents of this earthly life is in view. Something much more supernatural. The force of evil. Just as Adam and Eve’s choice in the garden to reject God’s life and to embrace the knowledge of good and evil opened them up to a force much bigger than them, the force of death, so too do our choices leave us vulnerable to evil’s influence. Our daily rejection of the fear of the Lord and our embracing of our own self-sufficiency will always lead to harm.
But in Christ, though our choices may have harmful effects, our lives are secure in the face of evil. Like the Hebrews who painted the blood on the doorpost were not visited by death, neither will the life painted with the blood of Christ be visited by the evil of death unto damnation.
By our union with Christ we can rest secure in this overwhelming promise. All evil will be transformed. Nothing can ultimately harm you. Death is gain. Suffering is sanctification. Trials are endurance.
Now all fear can be transformed into the fear of the Lord and produce rest in Jesus.
You: In general, are you satisfied in Christ?
You in Christ: How does our union with Chris protect us from all ultimate harm and evil?
Christ in you: How can Christ in you allow you to rest secure today?
Pray: Father, your satisfaction with Jesus is your satisfaction with me. Help it to also be my satisfaction with you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 