I don’t know about you, but when I am fearful or afraid it’s hard to rest. Thunderstorms in the middle of the night, unexpected strange noises in dark, or just worry about the future can all make me feel fear and unsettled.
When we think about fear, we don’t usually think about being at peace or having rest. But this verse tells the fear of the Lord leads to life and rest.
The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.
Proverbs 19:23
The footnote in my Bible says an alternate translation is sleeps securely. The fear of the Lord leads life and allows us to sleep securely.
This was still not making sense to me, until I realized that the fear of the Lord is wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). So, if I’m living my life in the fear of the Lord or according to God’s wisdom, my conscience (my internal thermostat that tells me right from wrong) is clear. I can have rest.
We have many choices to make in life each day. While none of us are perfect or make the right choice every time, if we strive to live according to God’s will and the Bible, you will find that choices in life are not as hard. You already have the ultimate guide for right and wrong.
If you have friends that are not Christians or that don’t live according to God’s plans, you will notice a difference. You will notice they often have significant trouble in their lives. They will not feel at rest or peace. But think about it, it’s hard to have peace when your conscience is troubling you. God imprinted every human with a basic understanding of right and wrong (Romans 1:18-23).
I thankful today that I have peace with God through Jesus. That God revealed Himself. As we live our lives in God’s will and according to his plan, we have peace and we can sleep securely. Living life God’s way is peaceful, more than most people realize.
