I had many hobbies when I was in high school, but one of the hobbies that I enjoyed the most was paintball. For those of you that do not know what paintball is, it is basically shooting balls of paint at each other, and yes...it does sting at times!
My friends and I would meet on our fifty acres and play different variants of paintball. One variant was fox and the hound. On this particular game, we would send one...yes, one person into the woods and they would hide. After the time limit was up, the rest of the group would charge into the woods and try to find the "fox."
I remember very clearly the first time it was my turn to be the fox. I went out into the woods and found, what I thought to be, the safest part of the woods to hide. The air horn went off, and that signaled that the "hounds" were after me!
I thought I had a great hiding spot, and for the longest time, I wasn't found. It was during the time that I wasn't found that my mind started playing tricks on me. "What was that?" "Are they behind me? Or in front of me?" "Maybe I should move?" All of these thoughts paranoid my mind as I became to contemplate just getting up and fleeing!
Proverbs 28:1 says, The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Do you know what is even more uncomfortable than sitting in the woods wondering when the "hounds" will find you? It is living an unrighteous life and having the spirit of God convict you and the thought of being caught in the back of your mind. Even when no one knows what you are doing, you still feel like you are on the run.
It is a restless and hopeless feeling when you are on the run.
Do you know what brings confidence and comfort? It is living a righteous life before God and others.
Proverbs uses the simile of a lion to show the confidence we have in righteous living.
It is a peaceful and confident feeling when you are living right!
How about you today? Feel like you are on the run? The only running you should do is to the Lord - the One who can and will forgive (1 John 1:9). Then, start living righteously and experience the boldness you have when you are not on the run, but standing right before a holy God!
Comments