Proverbs 10:24 Dread and Confidence_

What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted. Proverbs‬ ‭10:24‬ ‭NASB‬‬‬‬

Every person has fear about something, and sometimes that thing happens, most often it doesn’t. Similarly, we also have desire, and it too is sometimes fulfilled, other times it remains a fantasy. But the imaginations of the heart are not what Solomon is pointing out. Instead, from the platform or foundation of my identity, I may have confidence in the choices I make. And it may be reinforced by not only my conscience, but the Spirit of God in that small voice within.

This proverb is about a promise.

Behaving badly is not completely an accident or a byproduct of my emotional trauma. It becomes an intentional choice and a willingness to flirt with consequences, walk away from good advice, refuse caution, reject experience and wisdom gained from it. The more engaged in that lifestyle I become, the more callous I am to the subtlety of the warnings I’m given. Inside, there is not only an acceptance of the risk, but an expectation that I will experience what I fear – one day. There is a dread or terror that this person experiences, and the joy they have is dodging it and succeeding. But even this person knows one day they will not.

Earlier in Proverbs, Solomon is more direct about this:

Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil. Proverbs‬ ‭1:24-33‬ ‭NASB‬‬

There is a confidence in living “right,” by accepting that I am loved and forgiven. It helps me to listen — because I want to do the right thing. Do I fear? Yes, and that is why my confidence in the One to be feared, gives me a pathway to become fearless.

O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:55-57‬ ‭NASB

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans‬ ‭8:37-39‬ ‭NASB‬‬

And not only may I escape the fear that the lawless know is inevitable, but I may have desire. Desire, delight, longing, that I know is birthed in my confidence in Him. As a good Father, faithful friend, knowing lover, my desire is the object of his attention. That desire is a seed within that he waters, nourishes and grows. And finally it blooms.

It’s granted. As incredible as it is, he gives me to the delight in my heart.

Additional thoughts: One thing that I have found odd among believers is a worry that what one desires is bad or wrong. One has doubt that it is acceptable, or suspects it is benefiting the flesh in some way. The result is a notable lack of confidence in not only my desire, but in my God’s willingness to act on any of the incredible promises I may find in verses like this one. The lack of fulfillment of my desire is often proof that it was wrong. I draw a conclusion that is wrong for reasons that I have manufactured, supporting a premise that was completely wrong to begin with!

First, as I walk with God, I must understand that His Spirit is influencing who I am and my personal development. If there is some horrible psychopath hidden inside, don’t I think he would address that? Second, must one be perfect before he may believe any promise and enjoy it’s benefits? If so, they consider yourself perfect now because He sees the day when you are, in fact, perfect and counts it so today. My point is that the very desire He gives me is an outflow of the life I live before Him. Money or means, ability to come and go as I wish, work which is meaningful, relationships that are incredible, intimacy which fulfills deeply, success in coming and going — these are all things that if I need or desire, I must ask, “why wouldn’t He be pleased to give me them?” The fulfillment of my desire is the very water and nourishment my soul needs to become even more “righteous” or perfect in Him.