Fear is a fountain – Proverbs 14.26-27
Proverbs 14: 26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
It seems that in our society, the only thing we connect fear with is harm. But fear can also be protection, when we respect something and its ability or the probability of it hurting us, that is a protection. I fear being burned; that fear keeps me from pouring gasoline on a fire, it keeps me from placing my hand over an open fire or a hot stove top, or even swallowing food that is steaming. That is good. In Proverbs, we learn that the fear of the Lord can give us strong confidence, and it will keep us safe. That same Lord, when we respect and revere him, will fight for us and protect us. He becomes a place of refuge. As we continue to fear him, we see our lives begin to bubble up with blessings. We also find that we are delivered from harm because we trust in HIM.