A great benefit of listening to wisdom, is trading fear of danger for trust in the Lord.
Proverbs 1:3 "But whoever listens to me (wisdom) will live securely and be free from the fear of danger."
We do not live in a safe world. Dangers are everywhere: mean people, contaminated drinking water, infectious diseases, and natural disasters to name just a few.
With caution we carry around hand sanitizers, bottled water, concealed weapons, and healthy dose of caution (and maybe just a little paranoia).
Listening to wisdom, God's ways for life, produces freedom from the fear of danger.
Dangers still exist. But can you imagine being free from the fear of it?
The first step on the path of wisdom (breaking off point) is the fear/trust of God.
Proverbs 1:7 "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline."
Leave fear of danger and begin a life of trust/fear of the Lord. It will set you free.
Discussion and comments welcome.
Free from the fear of danger. That's something I'm making a little progress in. It helps to remember all the times God has protected and preserved me in the past.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have discovered is that God ALWAYS warns me when I am in real danger. It took me a while to learn to distinguish the difference between my fear and God's warnings, but I know it now.
I have learned to instinctively leave wherever I am when I get that warning. Trusting that God will give me that warning when needed leaves me free to feel safe and enjoy my surroundings the rest of the time.
So thankful that God is our protector from real dangers and as you say gives us warnings. As sheep we can rest confidence so long as we stay close to the shepherd.
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