My dear readers,

Your Fears versus Your Desires 

Proverbs 10:24: “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.” 

Fear and desire are two contrasting emotions. The former refers to a dread of things in life that we do not want to happen to us. We would rather they flee as far away from us as possible. We think they will do us hurt or harm, and bring grief or pain or both. The latter is what we want to happen to us or to get and own. We believe that if we have them, they will be good for us. They bring joy to our lives. They enrich our lives. 

These emotions are common in the thinking of both believers and unbelievers. The difference is great because the emotions of believers ought to be based upon God’s Word, whereas those of unbelievers are based upon man’s sinful heart. Because the source of their desires is worlds apart, the content of their desires is as different as night and day! Therefore, the warning from Proverbs 10:24 is very apt when it comes to our fears and desires. 

The word “fear” is unique. It does not appear anywhere in the Old Testament except here. The nature of this word is one of abject fear or terror. The word that is used to describe “the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge” is a fright that leads one to know God in Christ. The word “fear” used in Proverbs 10:24 emphasizes the emotion of “fear” itself. It does not matter what causes the fear, whether it be a reality or a person’s imagination; the fear paralyzes the person. It is an irrational fear. For example, he dares not go out for fear of getting killed. He fears to stand in front of a crowd so much so that he will do everything in his power to avoid any form of public speaking. He fears flying and will never set foot in an airplane. He will never go to any place that requires travelling by plane. Based upon this understanding of the word “fear”, Proverbs 10:24 says that this is the fear of the wicked.

What are some of the fears of the wicked? They fear to be caught in their evil schemes. They will bribe, plot and plan to ensure that their evil is not exposed. They might resort to hurting and ruining others to protect themselves. They might even kill like what many men and women of great power have done in the world throughout the ages. Kings, princes, presidents and prime ministers, great and powerful men have all committed despicable acts to protect themselves from the consequences of having their evil exposed. They are most fearful of losing their fame, fortune and the life that they have made for themselves through their devious and diabolical means. Such men will “move heaven and earth” to prevent all their fears from coming to pass. They will surround themselves with mighty armies and men. They have no true friends. Some do not even have a proper family life; for they even fear that their own family will kill them when they are sleeping! 

The constant fear of poverty and losing everything makes them very paranoid. The slightest hint of being betrayed will result in immediate, unreasonable and powerful retribution. There are no exceptions to who their enemy might be when their own life and safety are at risk. Many powerful despots have escaped their fears because of the power and great influence they wielded. But the fear of meeting their Creator is one that they will never escape. The fear of the wicked will surely come upon them from the hand of the Almighty God. There is absolutely no escape. This ought to be their greatest fear, not the fear of men, when they are on earth. They will die in their sins and be cast into hell.

In contrast, the desire of the righteous shall certainly be granted. The righteous are believers. They alone are considered righteous in God’s eyes, for He made them righteous in Christ when they accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Romans 4:22-25: “And therefore it was imputed to him [Abraham] for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” [Emphasis added] 

Therefore, with this righteousness within them, their desire will be for all things righteous and eternal. All things eternal are all things spiritual. They are also called the kingdom of God. Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The desires on earth that have a spiritual significance include attending worship every Lord’s Day, praying without ceasing, learning to give thanks in all things because they know that these things are from their heavenly Father, attending Bible Studies with God's children, the joy of sharing the gospel even in the midst of resistance, rejection and persecution, and praying and sharing their lives with God's children. These are precious experiences that they crave for every day of their life, knowing that all these experiences are a foretaste of what they will experience when they arrive home in glory.

With these desires in the believer’s heart daily and when they are fulfilled every week, he knows that they are all from God. He becomes very grateful and thankful to his heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praising and worshipping Him bring heartfelt joy and great delight within the soul. These are spontaneous emotions that allow him to love his God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind, more and more every day. This leads to a life of obedience and holiness according to Holy Scriptures. He becomes a godly witness for Christ as a result. This is the abundant life that Christ said all His disciples will enjoy after salvation. John 10:10: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” It is a life with desires that are no longer for an abundance of what he possesses on earth but for an abundance of spiritual wealth that will fill his heart and mind, coursing through his entire being. These spiritual desires are granted by his heavenly Father in His perfect time. 

Conclusion – Fears are actually unwanted desires. They are also uncontrollable desires. No matter how some may wish to remove their fears, they are impotent against their fears. They might even be irrational, and reason cannot pry their fears out of their mind and heart. The fear of the wicked is the worst and most devastating especially when these wicked ones have great power and influence. Nations have been destroyed by them. Thousands of lives have been lost because of their irrational fears. They push these fears away from them so that they will not be hurt by them. But their greatest fear ought to be the fear of God. They will not escape the cringing fear when they stand before God to receive their just judgment when they die in their sins. They ought to fear spending eternity in great pain and gnashing of teeth which will be their tragic reality if they do not repent of their wickedness before Christ’s return.

In contrast, the righteous whose desires are spiritual and eternal will be lovingly and gladly longed for and embraced. They will enjoy great joy and eternal bliss in the presence of their Heavenly Father and Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Their desires are lovingly evoked from within a righteous heart and when they are granted by God, they are eternally enjoyed.