Posted on November 30, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters
I keep thinking of the saying, “the lion doesn’t have to explain how powerful he is.”
When we humbly lay down our pride and live in Christ through the Spirit, we walk as lions, empowered to be like Christ…. to “do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)
Paul writes to the Corinthians, “We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 3:4 NLT) We need not seek man’s approval or barter influence from others… or promote ourselves at all; when we walk as lions… as Jesus, we are empowered by His Spirit who lives within us. This Christ-like humility is very powerful, “for when I am weak, then I am strong'” (2 Cor -12:10)
A lion walks with confidence. As believers, our steadfastness begins with our understanding of who God is. This makes me think of Daniel, who, “when he knew that the document that forbids him to pray to God was signed, he entered his house (walking as a lion); and Daniel continued kneeling on his knees three times a day. He prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” (Daniel 6:10 NASB) Daniel knew God. He knew Him to be absolute perfection, sovereign over everything, and everyone. Daniel knew His word is truth; that God is love, and all things begin in Him. He is Lord of Lords, King of Kings.
Daniel understood, “God’s rule is everlasting, and His kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to Him. He does as He pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop Him or say to Him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’ (Daniel 4:34b-35 NLT) Daniel recognized God is patient, suffering long the sins of man, He is gentle and kind, yet powerful, mighty, and just; forever seeking the redemption of His children. In loving-kindness, God gave His only begotten Son to die sacrificially in our place. He did this, so whoever believes in His Son, and His work of salvation, shall have eternal life. While Daniel’s enemies conspired to have him killed, Daniel relied on his understanding of God and walked as a lion into the presence of his Lord. In prayer, he humbled himself under God’s mighty hand, and with patients, waiting for God to lift him up according to His will. Like his friends before the furnace, Daniel knew, God can deliver him. But regardless of how God proceeds in His sovereign will, Daniel will not compromise his relationship with God, nor give in to the temptation to walk away from His Heavenly Father. This is the example Jesus gave us when He walked from the garden; in the same manner, Jesus, faced with bearing the wrath of God towards all sin at the cross, He prayed, “Father, not my will, but Yours be done.”
Paul encourages us to “not throw away this confident trust in God. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT) Scripture tells us that King Darius had a sleepless night after Daniel entered the lion’s den, even in spite of having stated, “Daniel, Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” But knowing the confidence Daniel had in his God, I like to picture him walking into the den of lions as one of them and praying through the night. Notwithstanding, by morning, Daniel testifies, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me since I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” (Daniel 6:22 NASB)
Regardless of the struggle we face, we can walk as lions, being confident in God’s goodwill. We can walk as lions by living obediently to His Word and trust the Spirit to work in and through us. It’s not about time either; sure, we want any suffering to end quickly, but honestly, God does some of his most incredible work in the valleys of heartache, and not on the summits of rest. He will bring every situation to its end, a point beyond where anyone can say, ‘look what I did.’ He will linger in the valley until the only response is, ‘see what God has done, His Name is praised!’ We can walk as lions in those valleys because He walks with us. His rod and His staff, they comfort us when we fix our eyes on Him and not our circumstances.
No matter the battle, struggle, or circumstance, we overwhelmingly conquer through the One called the ‘Lion of Judea,’ it is He who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So, walk as lions today.
Choose wisely…
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.
Think About This: “Out of the freedom from worry that God’s generosity provides comes an impulse toward simplicity rather than accumulation.”- John Piper
The Daily Bible Reading: Reflection | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. -Colossians 3:12-13
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