Of Dread and Desire

Proverb 10:24

What the wicked dreads will come upon him, 
but the desire of the righteous will be granted. 

The wicked dreads judgment. He dreads getting caught for his wickedness and receiving his just reward. The righteous desire the reward of heaven, of being received into glory and hearing the blessing of his Lord. Each is sure to receive what is coming to him.


The wicked strives to put his fear behind him, and for awhile may be successful. He convinces himself that this life is all that there is. He surrounds himself with pleasurable things so that he might suppress thoughts about death. He invests in security measures to protect himself and his property, and for a time feels secure. But at night, when he is alone with his thoughts, his dread returns. He cannot shake off the inner feeling that a day of reckoning must come.

The righteous strives to keep his hope of a heavenly city before him. The struggles of life, the temptations of the world, the weakness of his flesh, and the attacks of Satan all work to cast doubt and to raise fear. But he is able to carry on for he knows that the Righteous One has died for his sins and has opened the way into heaven. His Savior has gone to prepare a place for him. It is this faith that stirs his hope and gives him the peace and joy that carry him through his inner struggles.

Ultimately, the difference between the wicked and the righteous is their standing before the Righteous One. The wicked fear him; the righteous find their comfort in him. To the former, he comes as a fearsome nightmare; to the latter, he is the inspiring dream. Each will receive his due reward from him.