Tuesday, September 22, 2015

In our study today I’d like to focus on another change that takes place when a person fears the Lord. According to the book of Proverbs there would be a change physically. Proverbs 3:7-8 says, “Fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” The Living Bible puts it, “Then you will be given renewed health and vitality.” Proverbs 10:27 indicates that “The fear of the Lord adds length to life,” while in contrast “the years of the wicked are cut short.” Again Proverbs 14:27 says, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.” If these proverbs were promises every Christian who fears the Lord would not get sick and would live to a very old age. The problem is, Job was considered by God to be the most righteous man living at the time, and he got sick with boils all over his body. Paul, who said in Acts 23:1, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day,” nevertheless endured a thorn in his body. It’s not clear what that thorn was, but he prayed for its removal three times and was turned down by God. What is found in Proverbs is that ordering your life in conformity to God’s Word will generally lead to a healthy, more vital life. That generally will contribute to living longer. Living contrary to God’s Word leaves you more vulnerable to the deterioration of health, and that can lead to an earlier death. These are not promises. They are deductions based on observation, but they should be seriously kept in mind