Bold as a lion!
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Prov. 28:1 NIV)
Flee at once!
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as a practical joke, sent an anonymous telegram to several of his friends: “All is discovered. Flee at once!” All of them immediately left the country. Supposedly, all of these friends were upstanding and honorable people by all outward appearances, yet something was obviously going on inside their minds and hearts that was so frightening to them that it caused them to panic and leave the country!
All hearts are wicked!
The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9 NKJV)
It’s because of the sin problem we have all inherited. The Bible says, “there is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV).
Fear is a damaging force
The heart is a place for fear to exist. Fear is a very powerful and damaging force if anyone allows it to have control. It can cause people to totally withdraw and shut down, or even to act strange or irrational.
There is good news!
The good news is that the heart can be changed by Jesus! (John 8:36) “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6 NIV)
You can be bold and control fear!
“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27b NIV)
And, understand that “the righteous are as bold as a lion.” And yes, that means you!
Therefore…
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 ESV)
“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,” (2 Cor. 3:12 ES)
“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” (Eph. 3:12 ESV