“Here is the record of David’s mightiest warriors…” 1 Chronicles 11:11 (NLT)
I don’t see any cowards in the list from the heroes of the faith found in Hebrews, nor in David’s list of mighty men. The fact is, history is not fond of cowards, neither is heaven! Cowardice is listed among other traits such as idol worshipers, murders, unbelievers, the corrupt, the immoral and those who practice witchcraft, all who have a destiny in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8 – NLT). Strong’s defines cowardice as fearful, faithless, or timid! Those are things that are rampant in our world, as well as in much of the church. Yet the Bible says their destination is the same as those who are detestable (ESV). That is quite scary!
Nevertheless, history esteems bravery, showcases courage and values heroes who stand up against tyranny and logic. You see, logic says bow down, keep your head low, don’t be seen, because it will save your life. Logic says compromise today and let your children pay the bill tomorrow!
But we are called to defy logic by our faith in God! We are told to trust God and not lean on what our eyes see or the narrative we are mandated to follow (Proverbs 3:5). We all know what happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who refused to bow down to the golden image set up by an egotistic dictator of the United States of Babylon. When the music sounded as a cue, everyone was to fall on their faces, and everyone but the three Hebrews bowed. Those around them undoubtedly tried to get them to comply, especially those who knew them. But they stood alone in a sea of bowing cowards! Then when confronted by the king they replied saying “let it be known that our God is able and He will deliver us. Whether you throw us in the fire or not, we will not bow down!” Well, the great thing about this true story is that when they were thrown in the extra-fiery furnace because of their noncompliance, they were not harmed by the smoke or flames, and were given a close-up encounter with the pre-incarnate Christ! If you know the story, even the tyrannical ruler ended up acknowledging their God as above all other gods (Daniel 3)!
Today the question is will you be a hero, a champion who chooses to stand alone when everyone is shouting bow, or will you comply simply because a tyrannical evil leader says to. What you do in this hour will be remembered long after you’re gone. What we do here is recorded in heaven, not just on earth.
Ask God to stir your faith to a new level. Ask Him to remove fear, timidity, faithlessness and all residue of cowardice in your life! Where you have complied and bowed, repent and declare today, you will stand against tyranny and evil. Ask God to grant you the grace to make a difference, and to be able to give your children a better world. Pray for your pastor to be filled with boldness, courage and faith to lead your church forward as a shining light in a dark world! Pray for others across our city to rise up as heroes, champions of the faith, who will be remembered for making a difference in this hour of history. May followers of Jesus rise up across our city and nation, like the mighty men of David (1 Chronicles 11:11).
