Thought for the Day

This verse tells us that those who are righteous and who do not compromise will be as "bold as a lion" in their position, while those who are wicked will back down and flee. Sorrow will come upon those who practice unrighteousness, for they will reap what they sow. The obedient, however, will walk in boldness of faith and courage. "And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you...And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth" (Leviticus 26:15-17,36).

How does God send things upon people? Punishment is simply the penalty for sin or the reaping of the evil that we commit. When this happens, it is called the judgment of God. Although the word judgment carries a negative connotation, it also has a positive side since it is linked with sowing and reaping as defined in Galatians 6:7-9: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

From this, we see that on the negative side, evil reaps destruction; while on the positive side, blessings are reaped by the righteous. We are all judged by the Word of God daily and either found faithful to keep His commandments or guilty of breaking them. Although we may fail to keep all of God's laws, Jesus did so perfectly. Therefore, it is only by accepting Him as our Savior that we can avert the ultimate judgment of hell. By daily repenting of our sins and walking with Christ, we can also avoid God's judgments now (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). This is true of nations as well as individuals. "Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you" (Jeremiah 5:25). We must pray that the church comes to true repentance, which will produce genuine revival in our nation. Otherwise, we will face greater judgments, causing us to be fearful even when we have nothing to be afraid of, as we read in Leviticus 26:17, 36.

When we serve God and keep His commandments, we will not walk in fear, even when it is all around us. The Spirit enables us to walk in faith so that we will be as "bold as a lion" and overcome fearful things in the name of the Lord. This is the reason innumerable missionaries can go into dangerous countries with the Gospel and not fear the evil in those nations, because they know that the greater One is living in them!