The Word of God explicitly states that the righteous, which is who we are as Christians, are to live by faith. We find this in Habakkuk 2:4, which says, “But the righteous one will live by his faith.” Paul quotes this very verse three times in the New Testament. Therefore, it must be important.
To live by faith: Do we know what that means? Let me define what it means to live by faith.
To live by faith is to put your complete confidence, reliance, and trust in God and what He has promised in His Word. We do this regardless of the circumstance or how we feel.
The idea for this article came from a friend of mine. I have observed her as she navigated through a series of storms in her life, through no fault of her own, that drastically changed her life. My friend has remained in faith the whole time, spending time with God and studying His Word.
That is what we do when we live by faith. We remain faithful to God and His Word, knowing that our unshakable belief in His promises will carry us through any challenge or obstacle satan places in our way.
Be Wild and Courageous
Last week, my friend did a video story on Facebook and had written on it: “Be Wild and Courageous.” As I stopped and contemplated that simple phrase, the stories of several people in the Bible came to mind.
While I mentally reviewed their stories, God spoke to me about those particular Bible characters and said, “Many people think they were wild and courageous in what they did. What they did was to live by faith in me.”
In this article, I am going to tell the story of six people in the Bible who lived a wild and courageous life simply because they live by faith. As you read their stories, remember they were not intentionally living a wild and courageous life.
No, their wild and courageous life is simply a byproduct of their decision to live by faith. You can do the same. Live by faith and there will be wild and courageous moments in your life.
Here are the six people God told me to write about in this article:
- Rahab
- David
- Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego
All six of them lived a life marked by moments of wild and courageous faith. Again, they were not intentionally wild and courageous. All they did was live by faith in God.
Yet there was something special about their faith. They never compromised their faith. They believed in God regardless of how the circumstances appeared. One key to living a wild and courageous life is living by an uncompromising faith.
For more information concerning living a bold life, you can read my articles:
Daniel: Discovering the Secrets to Your Boldly Living Today Without Compromise
How to Live the Lifestyle of Faith: With 5 Benefits for You
Rahab: A Prostitute with Unusual Courage
We read Rahab’s story in the book of Joshua, chapter two. Joshua sent two spies into Canaan to scout the land, especially the city of Jericho.
The two spies stayed at Rahab’s home and, when the king of Jericho sent men to find the Israelite spies, Rahab hid them.
So, who is Rahab? She was a harlot or a prostitute. She had sex with men for money. Not a likely person to be regarded in the Bible as having great faith, but read what Paul wrote of her in the book of Hebrews:
By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed. (Hebrews 11:31 CSB)
Rahab is a Canaanite and a prostitute. Where did she get this faith? Her faith came from hearing what God had done for the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness.
Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you., For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan. When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. (Joshua 2:8–11 CSB)
What Rahab heard about God’s care and protection of the Israelites convinced her their God was the true God of heaven and earth.
All her young life, Rahab heard what God was doing for His people. This caused her to place her faith in the Lord God Jehovah.
I am convinced this young prostitute prayed to Jehovah before the spies ever came to her home, asking Him to spare her and her family’s lives.
Here is the wild and courageous part: She did this with no evidence He would do that for her. She put her family’s lives in the hands of two strangers with no evidence they would do what they promised.
Rahab risked her family’s lives by hiding the two spies. If the king’s guards had discovered them in her home, they would have killed Rahab and her whole family.
This young prostitute risked everything by having faith in a God she had only heard about. From a human perspective, Rahab had no reasonable expectation for God to spare her and her family.
First, she is a Canaanite, and God commanded Israel to destroy her people. Second, she is a prostitute, a very sinful occupation. And third, she doesn’t know Jehovah nor has a covenant with Him.
Yet, Rahab puts her faith in God and places the lives of her family in the hands of two strangers and the belief all six thousand Israelite soldiers would know the meaning of the scarlet cord hung out her window.
Her wild and courageous act of faith resulted in her family being spared. She marries Salmon, one of the Israelite spies, and becomes an ancestor to none other than Jesus, the Messiah.
Her act of faith is wild and courageous in our eyes, but for her, she was just believing in God.
You may also be interested in my article:
Pursue God: How You Boldly Seek God First In Your Life
David: The Teenage Shepherd
Now we move on to a very familiar story, David killing Goliath. David is wholly different from Rahab. He is an Israelite from the tribe of Judah and has a covenant with Jehovah.
At this point in his life, David is a teenager and most likely seventeen years old. We know he is younger than twenty because he would have been required to serve in the army at that age.
The prophet Samuel has already anointed David with oil and the Holy Spirit is powerful in his life from that day forward.
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward. (1 Samuel 16:13 CSB)
David spends his time in the field with his father’s sheep. He regularly plays his lyre and sings songs unto the Lord. Whenever a lion or bear tries to take a lamb, David strikes it down. If they rise against him, he grabs them by the fur and kills them.
David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. (1 Samuel 17:34–35 CSB)
This may be wild and courageous to us, but for David, he was simply living a life of faith in God. He used his faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit to conquer his enemies.
It was no different when he faced Goliath. David knew he had covenant protection from the Lord God of Israel and Goliath did not. David put his faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him. Today, the Lord will hand you over to me.” (1 Samuel 17:26; 45–46 CSB)
Therefore, David, a teenage shepherd, went out to slay a giant with just a sling and a staff. Wild and courageous? To us, but not to David. He was only living by faith in God and God’s Word. David did what was necessary for the situation he faced.
By human standards, David fighting Goliath is foolhardy, and a guaranteed loss. Goliath is nine and a half feet tall and has been a warrior since he was a young teen.
Goliath had the size, strength, and skills to easily overpower and kill David. There was no reasonable chance for David to succeed with his natural human skills.
Yet, despite these facts, David went out to face Goliath. David won because of his faith in God. He knew God had done it before, and He would do it again.
For a deeper understanding, you can read these articles I wrote:
You’re a Bold Believer – Made to Win Todays Battle
A Bold Christian: 5 Benefits for You Being One
Three Hebrews That Refused to Bow
Now we come to Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. They are young Hebrew men in the service of their captor king, Nebuchadnezzar. This incident in their life, which is one of several, is told in Daniel chapter three.
You can learn more about Daniel in my article: Daniel: Discovering the Secrets to Your Boldly Living Today Without Compromise
Along with Daniel, these three had already proved they will live a life of uncompromising faith in God. Now they face the greatest test of their faith.
King Nebuchadnezzar gave them the choice to either bow and worship him through his statue or to be burned to death in the fiery furnace. Their response is classic:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18 NLT)
With no hesitation, they responded with a resounding, “No!” to the king. Is this a wild and courageous act? Maybe in our eyes, but not for them.
They were living their life by faith in God. As young teenagers, they chose to live with an uncompromising faith in God and His Word.
They knew God can rescue them from the flames of the furnace, but even if he didn’t, they would serve Jehovah in their death.
Of course, we know God delivered them from the fiery furnace. Jesus showed up as the fourth man in the furnace, walking and talking with them.
Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego are examples of how we can live by faith and have wild and courageous experiences as we do so.
You will want to read this article too:
What Are the Different Levels of Faith (And Why They Matter)
Simply Live by Faith in God
I want you to see the recurring theme in these three examples of living a wild and courageous life. Not one of them intended to do anything wild and courageous.
Each of them lived with uncompromising faith in God, His character, and His attributes. Their wild and courageous life is a byproduct of their choice to live by faith.
It should be the same with us. As we live by faith in God and His Word, a wild and courageous life will be the byproduct.
There is no need to try to be wild and courageous. Going back to my friend, she doesn’t even realize she is being wild and courageous. She is living by faith, doing her best to overcome difficult circumstances she didn’t choose to be in.
The byproduct of her choice to live by faith in God is actions that are wild and courageous in other people’s eyes. I am one of those observing her struggles as she navigates difficult circumstances.
5 Steps to Living a Wild and Courageous Life
- Choose to live with an uncompromising faith in God and His Word.
- Spend time daily studying the Bible.
- Spend time daily in prayer.
- Refuse to bow to the circumstances.
- Live a life of thanksgiving.
Doing these five steps will lead you into a wild and courageous life. Not that you choose to live a wild and brave life. The choice you make is to live by faith in God. In the eyes of others, the results may be wild and courageous. For you, it is just living by faith and experiencing the blessing of God as you do so.
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