Proverbs 26:13
A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
Fear Is Not Real
We read, “A sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’” This is a metaphor is to describe our fears. It is a fire or a thief, or something else we might realistically encounter.
A lion wandering in the streets is used in the metaphor. How often do lions or other animals that live in the wild wander through the streets of a city? But that’s the whole point of the verse. Lions don’t walk around in cities. It points out that fear is not real.
We all have tasks in life that are unpleasant or challenging. The instinct to rationalize and come up with excuses for why we aren’t doing what we need to do is human nature. We need to be honest with ourselves. We cannot let imagined fears like a lion in the street to impede our way and prevent us from doing the right thing.
The world is a narrow bridge. There are dangers. We need to proceed with prudence and caution. But, we must never be afraid.
Is there a difficult task that you’ve been avoiding? Do not be afraid. Trust in God and move forward.
