Walk of Life – Day 28 – October 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs
“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1
The word righteous itself is self-explanatory. It means doing what is right. The other words used in the Bible include just, blameless, one who fears God, one without any guile, upright, ethical, law-abiding, and so on. Boldness, as defined in the dictionary, is a lack of hesitation or fear in the face of danger. This is a characteristic of being courageous, beyond what one may consider as being normal or possible. Therefore, as a believer, I think one can create the imagery of what it means to be bold as a lion.
It means to be fearless, not proud; strong against the forces of evil, not passive; stand your ground, not to run away; maintain your integrity always, never compromise; and be assertive, never aggressive.
How do we live a righteous life?
Live above reproach
In Proverbs 28:1, it is a comparison between two kinds of persons – the righteous and the wicked. The righteous stand strong while the wicked run. This is because sin will make you a coward. Sin will make you run away in shame and fear. However, when we walk righteously, it enables us to face any situation or person in a confident manner with a clear conscience. Proverbs 30:30 speaks of a lion as a stately and wise creature. This comparison offers a glimpse of the confidence and dignity of those who walk in wisdom. Godly boldness leads to life and courage. Boldness without wisdom devours and destroys.
Be a person of action.
Boldness that is spiritual is action despite the risk involved. It places its faith completely in the Lord and moves forward confidently. Picturize Christ driving out the money changers in the temple or the Lord walking through an angry mob unhurt and unharmed. Boldness that is not from the Lord leads to an aggressive spirit and a struggle to be powerful or famous. Boldness in the Lord is assertive and blesses those who are around us. Boldness is a gift from God. We can fearlessly share the Gospel of Christ like the Apostle Paul despite beatings, criticism, prison, or rejection because we know whom we serve.
Be humble
Pride and boldness have a very fine line between them. Today, there is a lot of spiritual pride based on our biblical knowledge and the sermons that we preach. Godly boldness acknowledges that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and ONLY through Christ. The analogy of a lion in this context speaks of the coming King – the lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). However, never forget that the devil has also been compared to a devouring lion on the prowl (I Peter 5:8). Christ is also the Lamb of God who was slain for us. We have a choice. We can either operate in aggressive boldness that destroys and devours those around us or we can choose to operate in godly boldness, firm and assertive, a blessing to those around us. Remember there is NO in-between. Living passively is not the way the Lord wants us to live.
The righteous are as bold as a lion. We follow the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. We are protectors and defenders of those around us, confidently and with humility pointing them to the True and living God using God’s Word. We follow a Christ who was straightforward, who openly pointed the sins of the Pharisees, who was not afraid of people, but His desire was to do the will of Him who sent him into the world.
We have a bold God, and the more we follow Him, we learn His ways. Believer, it is time to rise up, to speak against the forces of evil, to lead a righteous life, to be BOLD as a lion.
“I would rather die fighting for what is right, than live passively amidst all that is wrong.” Suzy Kassem
