How To Rest Satisfied (Proverbs 19:23)
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Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the Lord leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
Though we never actually ask ourselves this question, we all seek the answer to where true life is found. And the Bible is clear, and abundantly clear in this verse, that true life is found in the fear of the Lord.
That might sound counterintuitive at first, but it makes perfect sense. The more we surrender to God, the more we have of Him, the giver and maker of life, and the more we’ll have abundant life.
More life is found the more God has of our hearts.
But the world will say this isn’t true. The world, our flesh, and our enemy want to convince us that a life founded on the fear of the Lord leads to misery. That it’s slavish. That it’s foolish. That it’s a hollow pursuit.
But Proverbs 19:23 says otherwise. It says, “whoever has (the fear of the Lord) rests satisfied.” Satisfaction comes not in self-indulgence or from anything this world could offer; it comes from fearing God. From submitting to Him.
We chase satisfaction like we’re dying of thirst, running to every well the world offers – money, relationships, achievements – only to find they’re empty. But fearing the Lord is like drinking deeply from a fountain that never runs dry.
And that’s exactly what Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us: “God has put eternity into man’s heart.” Every human being on this earth has a longing for something more, for something greater, for something eternal. And only God can satisfy that longing.
This longing is what some have called the “gospel gap” – the empty space in our hearts that only Jesus can fill. And it’s true. We have a longing only God can satisfy.
That is why “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied.”
But this verse doesn’t end there. It closes, “he will not be visited by harm.”
I think this ending has a twofold meaning. One, when we live a life devoted to the Lord, He often provides a quality of life that cannot be disrupted by such evil! He will not be harmed. This doesn’t mean we won’t face suffering, but that God provides a peace and security that even evil cannot take away. It’s a quality of life rooted in Him.
And that leads me to the second, and arguably larger, meaning to the end of this verse. If not in this life, one who lives a life in the fear of the Lord will not be visited by harm in eternity. He will not suffer, he will not struggle, because he will be in heaven, with Jesus Christ, for eternity.
That’s the wonderful hope only a Christian has. In many ways harm is inevitable on this earth, especially because of our sin, but one day in heaven harm will be no more, and in its place will be peace and joy and worship.
So in reflecting on this verse today, I want to ask:
Are you truly satisfied in God? Or are you still drinking from wells that leave you thirsty?
Does your view of the Lord align with this verse? Do you see the “fear of Him” as leading to life or restricting it?
What would it look like for you to live in the fear of the Lord today?
Whatever came to mind with those questions and this verse, let’s take that to the Lord in prayer.
