Daily Thought

The lion is usually viewed by men as the ‘King of beasts’ and, in Proverbs chapter 30, it is named as the first of four things that are ‘comely in going’. The writer, Agur, focuses attention upon its strength and boldness. An adult male lion can grow to a length of some 3. 4 metres (11 foot, including its tail) and weigh some 250 kilograms (550 pounds). There is a regal beauty to its appear­ance and bearing. The strength and fearlessness of the lion is legendary, cf. Num. 23. 24; Judg. 14. 18; Isa. 31. 4. It is a fitting pic­ture of courage and fortitude in the face of adversity.

Scripture furnishes us with many examples of ‘the righteous … bold as a lion’. Moses did not fear the wrath of Pharaoh, Heb. 11. 27. David confidently met Goliath, 1 Sam. 17. 40-45. Three Hebrew young men could not be intimidated by the threat of death, Dan. 3. 16-18. Nehemiah said, ‘Should such a man as I flee?’, Neh. 6. 11. The prospect of imprisonment and afflictions could not deter Paul, Acts 20. 23, 24. How very different to the conduct of the wicked. The army of the Midianites were stricken with panic before the three hundred men of Gideon, although humanly speaking they had the advantage, Judg. 7. 20-22. News of the ministry of the Lord Jesus produced within the troubled conscience of Herod the belief that John the Baptist had returned, Matt. 14. 1, 2. The wicked flee when there is no cause but the righteous are bold even when the danger, trouble and threats are real. This courageous and undaunted spirit is to be attributed not to themselves but rather to:

1) Their fear of God, ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence’, Prov. 14. 26;

2) Their faith in God, ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee’, Isa. 26. 3.

3) Their waiting upon God, ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart’, Ps. 27. 14.

4) Their knowledge of the presence of God, ‘he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me’, Heb. 13. 5, 6; cf. Dan. 11. 32; Rom. 8. 31.