Yesterday I left you thinking on boldness. I have been thinking more on Acts 4:31 and read this portion of a commentary and had to share:
"In answer to their prayer and in fulfillment of his promise (Lk 11:13), the place is shaken, and all--not just the apostles--are filled with the Holy Spirit (2:4; 4:8). They speak (literally, were speaking--continuous action at intervals) the word of God (God's great good news of salvation; 11:19; 13:46; 14:25) with boldness. The messengers are unstoppable. The mission continues with divine momentum. As Chrysostom observed about the place being shaken: "and that made them the more unshaken" (Homily on the Acts of the Apostles 11).
So according to this verse and commentary, it wasn't just Paul or the apostles who spoke the word of God boldly! That means there is no qualification to being bold other than believing what the word says (Prov 28:1...the righteous are as bold as a lion) and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to be unshakeable and unstopable in this life...whether it is in proclaiming God's word or being a godly wife, or raising my children, or encouraging a friend, etc... I beleive this promise for boldness with the filling of the Spirit! There are corageous people described in the Bible. Let's see what we can discover by reading their stories.
What about David? He said to Goliath "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty...All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (You can read the whole story in 1 Samuel 17.) That's pretty bold!!! In 1 Samuel 16:13 we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. So David wasn't bold and corageous on his own. We can't be effectively bold on our own either- it is the Spirit of God working in us to make us bold!!
Dear Lord, renew our minds to the truth of your word. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can live life to bring glory to you. Make us bold where we need to be bold...make us sensitive where we need to be sensitive. Guide us in your love this day. In Jesus' name....amen!
Come back tomorrow and we'll check out some other courageous people :)
3 comments:
Loved it Gwen! Further along in the story of David, Goliath says to them "What? You sent this little peon to defeat me?" (paraphrasing of course :) and David says back to him, "This day I WILL defeat you and serve your head to be eaten by the birds."
He wasn't "hoping and praying and wishing" it would happen. He was BOLDLY confident in the power and authority he had by the Spirit of God within him. YES! That is an example I want to follow!
One day you and I should have coffee and I'll share my testimony with you of how God has taken me from being overweight and extremely insecure to becoming the woman I am today. It is all--100%--because I decided to submit my life to Him! :)
This is the song that immediately came to my mind when I read the title of your post...and there it was so I got to listen while reading your powerful post.
Thank you for LISTENING to the Holy Spirit and holding to what the truth is!!
I am so filled today to complete the good work that is in me (through HIM!!!!!!!!)
Thanks for reading this post ladies:) @Jen-I would so love to hear your story! Our God is so amazing and I enjoy hearing how He works in his daughter's lives!!!
@ Desert Rose...isn't that the second time that we've had a 'song connection'? SO neat to see how God fills our minds with good when we allow it!!!
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