Daily Archive

The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1

Have you ever been walking alone or in a room at night and felt like you were being chased? The ‘rational’ part of your mind assures you of the facts: “You are alone. There is no one there.” But the fear screams at you louder. You may even get up and check the room or turn around and check your surroundings to verify the truth: “You are alone. There is no one there.” But the fear persists. Facts don’t matter, feelings take over.

That is the picture the writer of Proverbs 21:1 uses to define the difference between the ‘righteous’ and the ‘wicked’. It’s really about faith and trusting facts over feelings. The enemy, Satan, is a great purveyor of doubt, doom and despair. He is always there to remind you of how many times you’ve failed. He’ll question whether God can really forgive you again, or is this the last straw?

Fear and doubt are great ‘cripplers.’ They will keep us from attaining all that God has for us. Every time we fail. Every time we sin is one more ‘example’ that we can’t do this Christian Life thing. It’s hopeless. It doesn’t matter if it’s a ‘big sin’ or a ‘little sin’ the effect is the same. We dwell on the failures and not on what really matters.

As Christ-followers we can be like a lion. Lions are confident and rulers of the jungle. They are feared above all animals because of their power and cunning. Lions aren’t afraid of anything, neither man nor beast. They walk with nobility knowing exactly who they are and what they are capable of.

That is the picture Proverbs 21:1 paints of the Christ-followers. We can walk with confidence and without fear because our righteousness is not based on who we are, what we can do, or how well we ‘do life’. Our righteousness is built on Jesus Christ and His ability and willingness to forgive us of our past lives, and freely give His Grace for the future.

God doesn’t look at where we were or where we are. He looks at where we are going. He doesn’t expect perfection, but He does demand trust and reliance on His Holy Spirit to live for Him. He sees us as diamonds in the rough, ready for polishing and of great value. Gems to be cherished and shown off.

Stop dwelling on your failures. In debt? Start now to do what you can to spend wisely. Hounded by worry?  Burdened with guilt or the consequences of sin? Jesus came to relieve you of those things. Every day try to give just one more thing to Him. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect; He isn’t interested in what you are like today. He sees the possibilities in you and wants to help you be all you want to be. Don’t listen to the fears and feelings. Walk confidently in the FACT that God loves you and is working now to make you all you can be. Be patient with yourself along the journey.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father. I’m burdened today with worry and fear. I’m having a real struggle between acting on what I know and being crippled by my feelings of guilt, shame and hopelessness. Thank you for Jesus and His righteousness. Help me to remember that I live by His work on the cross and not my ability to follow You completely. Empower me today to see me as a lion and to walk confidently in the fact that You see my possibilities. Amen