Dread or Faith
Proverbs 10:24
What the wicked dreads will come to him, but what the righteous desires will be given to him.
The wicked dread the consequences of their actions. They dread judgment for the sins they’ve committed and facing those they have wronged. The wicked dread the just outcome of their crimes, but we can count on God to be just. We may not, however, always understand His timing. He desires even for the wicked to repent and turn from their ways, but when they won’t, He brings judgment. The longer the wicked wait, the more tormented they are by the dread of the judgment they have coming. Therefore, dread is a punishment itself.
Dread can also become a pattern of a negative mind. In order to avoid disappointment, one can expect the worst and wish for the best. Wishing, however, is not a substitute for hope, which is an expectancy of good. Hope leads to faith, which pleases God. To live in constant dread of bad things to happen is neither wise nor productive. Choosing to live in the negative is its own form of punishment and does not attract the heart of God because it suppresses faith.
The righteous live by faith. What they desire will be given to them by faith. The righteous have no dread to encounter because they have wronged no one. If they have sinned, they have repented and turned from their sin in order to follow Jesus. They can expect God to be good to them and to give them their desires because He is the creator of their desires.
We all have a choice to make. We can either live in dread like wicked men, or we can turn to Jesus and live by faith. God is a just judge who will judge this earth, but He has already judged our sin in Christ. If we repent and follow Him, God will work everything out for our good and His glory. That doesn’t mean we won’t ever have consequences to pay, but God can use those things to draw us into a closer relationship with Him and bring good out of our mistakes and shortcomings. We have hope even when we fail in Christ! Determine to live by faith and not by dread. You will find God giving you the very desires of your heart in the end.
Have a blessed day!