“… but whoever listens
to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Prov. 1:33
The last verse of the
first chapter of Proverbs provides a promise – although it begs the question if
a follower of God is not subject to the consequences of a sinful world around
them. Christians still get in accidents, get sick, and get robbed. There are
Christians who have suffered persecution and faced war in their countries. Does
this promise apply to them?
The promise is given
in the context of differentiating between those who fear the Lord and those who
despise wisdom (1:7), reject God (v.25), or hate knowledge (v. 29). Those who
do not fear the Lord may call on Him in their hour of need, but He will not
hear.
The person who fears
the Lord, lives to please Him, and follows God’s wisdom as revealed in His
Word, always have a resource that they can go to. They do not face the tough
circumstances of life alone, but have hope in the fact that God instructs us
that He will never leave us or forsake us.