Pr 10:24.
²⁴ What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

The Parts

fear / terror – an extreme sense of horror. The verb speaks of intimidation before a stronger or superior being or thing. It is a state where survival itself is threatened!

wicked – this noun is used over 266 times paralleling almost every word for sin, evil, and iniquity. A description of someone in contrast to the character and attitude of God, e.g., violates social rights, violent, oppressive, greedy, plotting against the poor, murder, community threateners, dishonest, self-serving. This person contrasts the righteous not only in lifestyle but in life results.

desire – long for, regard as beautiful. The verb often relates to what our “soul” (being) seeks, something for the depths of our being.

References to consider:

Ps 34:4.
⁴ I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Ps 9:5.
⁵ You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

Ps 9:16.
¹⁶ The Lord has made Himself known; He has executed judgment.
In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared.

Pr 24:20.
²⁰ For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Mal 4:3.
³ “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts.

N.B. – Such wickedness is not irreversible, cf Ps106.6; 2Chron6.37; Neh9.33; Dan9.5. It is confession / repentance the Lord really seeks.

Pr 13:12.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Pr 13:19.
¹⁹ Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.

Sharpening for my life today:

The gem of God’s wisdom picks up from the preceding Proverb where the wicked take pleasure in their sin, yet, there is a day ahead that their conscience speaks about to them. Let’s make a note here, God’s provision of our conscience is a gift to prick, prod, and point us to the things we need to see in our lives. Rightfully so does the wicked have a gnawing inside of them, it is a gift of God to call them to repentance!

We would do well to consider “What do the wicked fear”? Our word for fear / terror is frequently used in promise-fulfillment motifs. It is suggested what is to be worried is what will “come upon” us. Scripture is consistent in the truth, what you sow, you reap, or called talionic justice.

At the heart of all “dread” is the thought of the wicked that they must stand before the Lord. This “dread” is frequently treated as a laughing matter, anesthetized with activity, alcohol, materialism, immorality, and many more masks! The truth of the Word of God is that there will be a day of reckoning.

At this point, our jewel from the Lord, sets a hope before the righteous of standing before the Lord. This is the hope of life! Read Ps 73, meditate on Ps73.24-28. Ahead of the righteous is the desire of life granted from the Lord. The conscience of those who walk with the Lord blesses those who love Him.

Take a moment and see if there’s something gnawing in your heart. Know the Lord restores all who turn to Him in faith! His blessing can be yours, now, and when you stand before Him!