The fear of the Lord delivers one from danger and destruction. When you honor God’s word, your obedience will keep you from doing things that can destroy you and forfeit your future. I remember when I was a child, my mother told me not to touch the iron, so what did I do? I touched the iron. That taught me a decent respect for the iron. When God instructs us not to do something, it’s not to keep us from doing things; it’s to keep us from harm. His laws will literally prolong our days. The wicked don’t fear God, so they do whatever they want, even when the scriptures instruct them to stay away from sinful actions. The result is that they fall into harmful habits and activities that destroy them. King David said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7)!
Proverbs 10:27 – The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.