~ A LION IN THE WAY! ~
You may have heard many excuses from those who could not, would not, or did not fulfill their duties. In order to justify negligence, people often use excuses, in both physical and spiritual matters. When we ask why one has not obeyed the gospel, or has not been attending the assemblies, they begin to tell some of their problems or difficulties. Actually, no one can put forward any kind of justification before God for negligence or disobedience.
“The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets” (Proverbs 26:13). How frightening it would be to have a lion on the loose! It would cause great alarm -- but let us think about what the slothful, or lazy man is saying. He is using the lion as an excuse to stay inside and do nothing. How shall we respond to his warning?
If a lion is threatening the community, we need to capture it -- or kill it, if necessary. To try to hide or to run from the danger would not solve the problem. We need to rise and react properly in this critical moment. That is a challenge set before us. Our text illustrates a feared problem or a time of difficulty. Even if we would close our eyes, there would still be problems in our life. Nobody can avoid that. When the hard problems of life face us, we should not keep ourselves inside a closed door as the lazy man says. In order to gain victory, efforts and attempts are necessary. We need to make up our minds to be in action.
David did not allow Goliath to scare him away. Zacchaeus could say he was too short, and in no way was able to see Jesus. But instead of making excuses, he climbed into a tree to overcome the difficulty. Paul did not let a thorn in his flesh defeat him in service to the Lord. Peter, John and other apostles had very hard times with the Jewish leaders, but they continued deliberately preaching the gospel. Persecution of early Christians did not scare them or cause them to give up their faith. The threat of death on the cross did not make Jesus quit.
There are many other encouraging events in Bible history of people who did not let a “lion in the street” (hindrances or problems) put them down. If God Almighty is with us, we can face any situation. But we need to depend on His power. Since Christ could overcome the world, as Christians we will also be able to overcome it with His power.
Take notice of Romans 8:31-39. When you read these verses, you will see that they are truly “lion killing!” Verses like these are strengthening to us. We must never let our fear or excuses defeat us -- and certainly there is no room for laziness. We must be positive in our approach to God’s will. The reward is great if we act as God desires.