Life Filling Fear

For Monday, January 2, 2006
Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Far from this fear being paralyzing and suffocating, it is life renewing. For the fear of the Lord is what overcomes the other fears that keep us enslaved and timid. The fear of the Lord gives us confidence in God's might and wisdom to provide and protect. It turns us to Christ for our confidence in finding mercy and away from ourselves. Thus we do not have to worry daily about whether we are doing a good enough job to be accepted.

And thus we turn away from the snares of death. By not trusting in ourselves and by not fearing what the world fears, we do not take matters into our own hands which always leads us into snares. We can do what is right, nor worried about consequences, trusting our God to handle those things. We can do what is good and what is of real joy, not calculating what wins us favors or wards off penalties.

Fear the Lord and enjoy the fountain of life.