Valor or Cowardice
“Valor or Cowardice”
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might. ” Ephesians 6:10
We describe a valiant man as one who does right, no
matter the cost. He is one who does right when the majority is
doing wrong. He will risk loss of life or loss of friendships to
do right.
We see a sharp contrast between valor and cowardice in
Jeremiah 38. Jeremiah was fearless and proclaimed the
message of God, even though, it was very unpopular. It was
also a message that could cost him his life. The king knew that
he was a true man of God. At times he went secretly to
Jeremiah to ask if there was any word from the Lord! (see Jer.
37:17). But, being a coward, he consented to the evil men
calling for Jeremiah’s death.
The prophet was put in a dungeon, which was a hole in the
ground with mire at the bottom. They wanted him to die! Then
Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian eunuch, valiantly asked Zedekiah
to allow him and his men to draw Jeremiah out of the dungeon.
They threw down some old rags for Jeremiah to put under his
armpits, and with love and hope, pulled him out of the pit. We
admire Ebedmelech for his bravery and despise Zedekiah for
his cowardice.
Today, you and I are called upon to stand for what is right
against the wrong. It demands courage and valor. We may
stand alone, but we are clothed in the whole armour of God,
with the sword of the Spirit in hand (cf. Eph. 6:10-18). – R.C.
Prepared by Roger Fulk, from excerpts from the “Baptist Bread” December 5, 2024, devotional by author R. REX COBB, Baptist Bible Translators, Bowie TX. With permission from Tim Green, editor of Baptist Bread.
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