Daily Word: The Confidence of the Righteous

Proverbs 28:1 says: The wicked flee though no one gives chase, but the righteous are as confident as a lion. (JPS) The JPS Study Bible comments: "The wicked live in constant fear, knowing that punishment is approaching but being ignorant of when it will arrive. The righteous enjoy a sense of security." Although there may be times that the wicked appear unmoved by coming judgment, the reality is that they do know that a day of reckoning is forthcoming. I was called to the bedside of a man who was dying. He knew he was about to leave this life. However, all he really seemed to care about was his money. He kept about $50000 in paper cups next to his death bed. He was a hardened military combat veteran who had seen the horrors of war. Yet, when I looked into his eyes, I could see fear. He would not admit it, but it was there. He had lived an ungodly life even taking the Lord's name in vain just days before he died. He left this world afraid, but unrepentant. His day of judgment is coming.

The righteous can face today with confidence. In addition, we can face the day of judgment in the future with confidence. We need not be afraid. If we have faith in God and His son Jesus Christ, we can approach each day confidently without fear. Remember what faith is in Hebrew; it is action not mental assent to a creed. James says, "Faith without works is dead." James understood that for faith to be faith, it has to be a verb. Faith is not a noun; it does not describe a person, place, or thing. It is about movement. If you have faith in God and His son Jesus Christ, it will demonstrate itself in how you live. It will show up in how you treat the poor, the orphans, and the widows.

What do your actions tell us about your faith? I am not talking about what you believe in your mind about Jesus Christ; I am asking what you do because you believe in Jesus Christ? The answer to that question tells you what you have faith in. So, what do you believe?