Until recently, I lived in an estate where people take to the streets every morning and evening and at weekends for exercise. Some walk briskly, some jog, and a few cycle their way around. All these are to shed some kilos and live healthier. While physical exercises are commendable and should be encouraged, we must quickly add that they do not alone account for healthy living. There is what someone has described as the “invisible parts” to health. In other words, what makes people healthy goes beyond eating patterns and rigorous exercises. We should by all means pursue these; but it is necessary to look into more fundamental issues. What we referred to as the invisible parts of health can be called the spiritual factors of health.
As our lead verse for today says, the fear of the Lord brings health to the flesh and strength to the bones. How does this work? To begin with, the primary way by which the fear of the Lord reveals itself is for people to depart from sin and wickedness. When people depart from their sinful ways, they live reconciled to God. The immediate effect of this is the peace of God that floods the heart and is beyond comprehension. Peace, as it is often admitted, is the foundation of health. People who are at peace with God and with themselves are happy; happy people are healthy people. On the flipside is the portion of the wicked, the unrepentant sinners. They are in flux; ever anxious, never settled. The Bible says it well: “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:21). In another place, we are told that a sinner will flee even when no one is pursuing him; only the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1). There is no way one can listlessly and ceaselessly wander around and be in health. Finding peace with God is compulsory to live healthily.