Bold as a Lion

Today’s Verse:

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. ~Proverbs 28:1

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What comes to your mind when you think of a lion? The lion has been labeled the king of the jungle. He is considered fierce, strong, and relentless. He is a fearless and tactical hunter. He instills fear into the hearts of his prey. Peter describes the lion as a predator that walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Solomon uses the boldness of a lion’s nature to describe the character of a righteous person. He said, “The righteous are bold as a lion.”

They are bold in their prevention.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not” (Exodus 20:20). Israel had lived in the midst of terrible idolatry during the 400+ years they lived in Egypt. God promised to lead them into the land of Canaan as their homeland. However, God knew that their hearts would be inclined to fall into idolatry as they saw the lifestyles and idol worship of the pagan nations around them. So, Moses told them, “God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” He was telling them that they must take a bold stand in the land against sin of any kind. Another example of being bold in prevention is Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 13, we see him taking a bold stand against the forsaking of God’s tithe, the forsaking of the care of the priests, the allowance of merchandising of the Israelites, and intermarriage of the Jews with the pagans. “The righteous are bold as a lion.”

They are bold in their preaching.

Peter and John had been censured for preaching Jesus. The Jewish priesthood was beside themselves at the large number of Jews that confessed Christ as Saviour. These Jews told Peter and John that they were not to preach about Jesus any longer and, if they did, they would be severely punished. Peter and John stood firm and declared, “We must obey God rather than man.” The devil hates preaching. He moves in the hearts of magistrates to pass laws to hinder the preaching of the gospel. In some countries, taking a stand from the pulpit against the sins of the day has been classified as a hate crime, when such preaching used to fall under the protection of free speech. Peter and John said, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Bold preaching is Nathan the prophet telling David, “Thou art the man.” Bold preaching is Micaiah the prophet standing alone in his preaching against the false prophets of his day. “The righteous are bold as a lion.”

They are bold in their praying.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” People who are bold in their praying have an embedded conviction that God is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think. Bold praying is Abraham asking God to hold back His judgment against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Bold praying is Elijah praying for the fire of God to come down on the altar that he built on Mt. Carmel, and then, on the same day, praying for God to restore the rain on the land of Israel. Bold praying is Jabez begging God to bless him and enlarge his coast. Bold praying is the nobleman from Capernaum begging Jesus to heal his son, who was at the point of death. Bold praying stretches the limits of the imagination. It believes that God can move mountains. It asks for God to shut the mouths of lions. It is praying that brings vision to fruition. “The righteous are bold as a lion.”

First, we must be righteous in our character, like Job was. Second, when we meet this criteria, we can be bold in our asking and our actions. Determine to be bold as a lion!

Have a bold God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 51-57

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