Confidence in Fear

Proverbs 14:26

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

There would seem to be no confidence in fear. Let’s face it: fear seems to bring anxiety in most, but the reason it brings anxiety is that it is placed in the wrong object or person. When you place your fear in man, you naturally will be nervous and be apprehensive when in their presence. For instance, a person who fears their boss is a person who is afraid of what their boss will do to them. There seems to be no way you can have confidence in fear.

However, fear in itself is not bad. We often think of fear as a bad thing, but it is only bad when it is not placed on the right person. Satan always takes what is good to get you to misplace it; thus, making what was supposed to be good a bad thing. For instance, I fear electricity, but to have a fear of it should not cause me to avoid it altogether. To have such a fear of electricity hurting me to the degree that I would never use it would cause me to miss the benefits of it. If I fear electricity in the sense of respecting its power, I can use that power to accomplish great works. Likewise, when we take fear and place it in the LORD, we will find many benefits that come with it, benefits that can help us. Let me share some benefits that a proper fear will give you.

First, having a fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Throughout the Scriptures, you will see that fear gives you knowledge and wisdom. When I have a fear of the LORD, I will study His Word to find out how I should live, and how I should conduct myself in His presence as I live my daily life. When you study God’s Word, you will gain knowledge and wisdom that you can use to do mighty works for the LORD.

Second, having a fear of the LORD causes you to do right. Knowing that the LORD has the power to punish you if you do wrong will cause you to do right. When I worked with electricity, I feared it enough to make sure I did everything correctly so that it would not harm me. Likewise, a fear of the LORD will cause you to make sure you do everything right so that His power will not have to be used to chasten you.

Third, having a fear of the LORD will cause you never to have to look over your shoulder about what you have done because you have done no evil. Proverbs 3:7 teaches that the fear of the LORD will cause you to depart from evil. The only reason anyone would be evil enough to try to destroy the name of another is because they have no fear of God. When you have a fear of God, you will know that God chastens those who do evil; therefore, the fear of the LORD causes you to treat everyone right.

Fourth, having a fear of the LORD will cause you to put your trust in Him. You will never do wrong by placing your trust in the LORD. Every person who has trusted the LORD for everything they do in life has found that He directed their paths to do the right thing.

My friend, the reason fear of the LORD gives strong confidence is because you know you are doing right, you know that you have never hurt anyone, and you know that He will direct your paths because your fear has caused you to place your trust in Him. Confidence in life is critical to accomplishing great things for God; therefore, be sure your fear is placed in the LORD, and strong confidence will be the result of a proper placement of your fear.