August 30

Aug 30 - Today from Proverbs 30 we look at verses 29-31
"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him."

In verses 15-31 the Teacher is making observations of nature. Without directly admonishing them, he is instructing his students to do likewise. The observations all relate back to the opening verses of the chapter where the Teacher is humbled by all that he does not know or understand. It is a rather interesting approach to life - to be humbled by all that you do not understand as opposed to being proud of the so very little that you do . . . or at least you think you do. The entire chapter is an intricately woven text, written in a style unfamiliar to our Western mind.
The subject of the observation in today's text is confidence. The Teacher gives examples of the effect, but does not explain the cause. He challenges his students to ask the question, "Where does their confidence come from?" Why is the lion so confident? He is known to stand against and even attack beasts greater than himself. And what about the little bantam rooster? Where does he find the confidence to strut before, threaten, and attack people ten times larger than himself? Who does he think he is? The he-goat seems to be looking for a challenge. He is quick to use the mighty battering weapons so majestically crowning his head. Then we come to the king with his army around him. At least here we can begin to give a definitive answer as to where his confidence comes from. But it seems to come from an entirely different source. His confidence apparently comes from the strength of his army. The beasts have nothing similar in their case. What is the Teacher driving at here?
I believe we need to go one layer deeper. What do all four examples have in common in regards to stately confidence? Territory. Something they are willing to fight and even die for. The lion, the bantam rooster and the he-goat are confident and aggressive because they have a territory and they will defend that territory with their all. So too the king and his army. Thus, true confidence does not come from self-worth, but from convictions in life. Our fathers, brothers and sons did not shed their blood on foreign soil because they believed in themselves - or even in our President. They did what they had to do because they were convinced that our liberty and freedoms were worth dying for. That's what our territory stands for. The countless unknown martyrs of the faith did not lay down their lives because they believed in themselves. They laid down their lives because they believed in the resurrection of the dead, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the imperative that all men should hear the gospel. Convictions are things greater than ourselves. Convictions are our territory in life, and they are to be our source of confidence. If confidence is rooted in self, then it is only as strong as the vulnerability of self. Self-confident people are cowards at the core. People of conviction are the dangerous people. When you threaten their territory, you can expect an all-out defensive battle. Pity the man who has placed his convictions in a lie. He will have died in vain. In the end there will be no reward, only regret.
As believers, we have a sure foundation in Jesus Christ. We must establish our convictions in the truths of God's Word. The Teacher warns in verses 5 and 6, "Every word of God is flawless. . . Do not add to His words or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar." Our self-worth is not in ourselves, but in what He was willing to pay for us. We are now His territory, "Christ in me, the hope of glory." He valiantly died for me. I cannot fathom it, but I know it is true. Now He is my territory, and I place all my confidence in Him. Hallelujah!