Monday, January 19, 2015

The Strength In Timidity

Entertaining young children often provides moments of enduring joy and memories that last a life time. I often think of those days when I played “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” with my sons. We made noises and faces and even built homes out of blankets and chairs. The “big bad wolf” tried to create problems for the three little pigs but was never able to harm those inside the home. They were prepared to face the threats of the big bad wolf.

We often do the same - making preparation to face the threats and uncertainties of life. We feel strong in our own strength and believe without a doubt that we can, no matter what, withstand any temptation in life.
Solomon, however, presents another way of responding to the threat of evil: timidity! When temptation comes after us - whether or not we feel capable of rejecting it by ourselves - we are to “shun evil.” Looking deeper into these two little words we find that those who “fear evil” or are timid because they feel weak and are unable to reject evil, have a “built in alarm,” it is the fear of the Lord! When they recognize what could destroy them, they respond in fear and flee what they see as being evil.

I often marvel at the countless alarm systems that are available to protect our homes and identities from fraud and theft, danger and destruction. Some provide constant surveillance through an electronic monitoring system. Others can be self-installed and are battery operated. Both are designed to warn of “impending danger.” We have something stronger: God’s wisdom.

Prayer:  Lord, help us to be so fearful of evil that we flee it in timidity rather than standing, fighting and failing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 14:16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

No comments:

Post a Comment