Fear the Lord and Live Longer

“The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.” Proverbs 10:27 ESV

In an article published by Runners World last week, it was revealed that a new study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that a person doesn’t have to run hard, fast or far in order to get a decent health boost. After then chronicling the results of the October, 2024 study, they listed the health benefits of walking: As with running, you can reap a wealth of health rewards when you make walking a regular part of your daily routine. For a start, it’s a highly accessible form of cardiovascular exercise that is doable for most people. That said, walking is still a weight-baring activity, which can help to promote healthy bone density and mobility. Various studies have also concluded that walking can help to lift your mood, improve your heart health and lower your risk of developing diabetes and other chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease. In fact, research has found that a person lowers their systolic blood pressure (the number at the top) by about 0.45 points for every 1,000 steps that they take each day. Meanwhile, another study purports that walking may help you to live longer.

And, you know, in the same way exercise helps a person live longer, Solomon pointed out that, as a general rule, those who fear the Lord live longer than those who don’t. You see, barring accidents or unpreventable conditions or diseases, most causes of death can be warded off by avoiding habits and lifestyles that are contrary to the Bible—something those who fear the Lord do by keeping sex within the confines of a monogamous marriage, exercising regularly, eating right, and treating their bodies as the temples God created them to be. In contrast, a wicked person that has no fear of the Lord (and thus no moral boundaries) is more readily addicted to food, drugs, alcohol and illicit sex. These addictions then lead them to engage in risky behaviors that inflict damage on both their mind and their body, thereby shortening their life considerably. 

So if you want to live a longer life, walk with the Lord daily my friend. Doing so will keep you on the right path to optimal physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health which will help you live a fuller life as well. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that those who fear You, or are in awe of your holiness and power, will strive to follow your commands and thus free themselves from the consequences that walking in sin always has. Lord, please cause us to understand that your laws are given to keep us safe, healthy, and happy and not to prohibit us from having fun. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!