Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 10:24, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
American Standard Version
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
World English Bible version
What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 Meaning & Commentary
What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. Proverbs 10:24 (ESV)
In this verse, we see the wicked and the righteous being compared one to the other. The Bible tells us that the wicked get what they dread, but the righteous will have their desire granted. Let’s first consider the righteous person. We know that we are the righteousness of God, through faith in Christ Jesus: Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, for there is no distinction.
We also know that if we seek God and his righteousness, everything else will be added to us: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So, as we put God first in our life and seek his ways of doing things, we will receive everything we need and will not have to seek or chase after it. As we put God first and delight ourselves in him, he gives us the desires of our hearts: Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
On the other hand, the wicked are in danger of what they dread coming upon them. Because they are wicked, this immediately tells us that they are out of sync with God and that God is not first place in their lives. They are not seeking God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness first; hence, they have chosen to do life on their terms and live selfishly. They have not given God a place of honor in their lives; therefore, they are at the mercy of life and need to fend for themselves.
Application
How then can we practically apply Proverbs 10:24 to our lives?
The verse is about being in right standing with God and walking in righteousness before Him. We can take comfort from Psalm 37:4 that God wants to give us the desires of our hearts. We need not worry or fear that when we give our lives to God and surrender to Him that we will not be able to have the desires of our hearts. The key, though, is to seek His Kingdom and his righteousness first.
If we choose to do life on our terms, we are not inviting God into our situation and circumstances, which is when what we dread potentially comes upon us. For example, if we dread being unable to support or look after our families and do not seek God and place him first in our lives, we choose to do life alone and become vulnerable to what we fear and dread. As believers, we should not walk in fear: 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
So, fear or dread is ungodly, and when we walk with God, not only will our desires be granted to us, but God’s fear will be cast out of our lives because of God’s great love for us! If we want God’s blessing over any area of our life, we must put His first. If we want to be blessed financially, we need to honor Him, put him first in our finances, and apply His Word and principles. If we want to be blessed in our relationships, health, etc. – We need to put him first in these areas. As we do this, we will be delivered from fear and find our desires granted as we delight ourselves in Him!
Prayer
Mighty God, I come to you in Jesus’ name, and I thank you that you desire to grant me the desires of my heart. I ask that you show me any areas of my life that are not surrendered to you and your plans. Help to recognize and change these areas so that you may be elevated to first place in every area of my life. As I do this, I thank you that every form of fear would be broken off in my life. As I receive the desires of my heart, help me always to honor you and be a blessing to those around me. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen!
