Confidence

I think this will be the last (at least for now) of the series on Boldness, even though there is so much more we could learn from the people throughout the Bible.  I just started reading The Confident Woman: Start Today Living Boldly and Without Fear, so there may be more on it in the future:) 
When I read the story of Esther, I wasn't sure what similarities I would find to the other courageous people I had been studying.  True, Esther was in the right place at the right time (Esther 4:14) but, before she boldly approached the king, Esther was prepared...she and her supporters fasted (Esther 4:15).  She put on her royal robe (Esther 5:1)-she knew who she was!!! Do you know who you are in Christ??? True boldness and courage doesn't come for us...it's from God in us!! Because of Esther's courage, the Jews celebrated (Esther 9:22).  Wow, a whole group celebrating because of the courage of one person....that one person could be you!  You could lead a whole group to celebrate as you are bold and courageous in your life by trusting God!! Joshua led a whole group of people into the promised land-can you imagine crossing the Jordan?  Here's what the Lord said to him-Wow!!!
I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses...No one will be able to stand up against you all the says of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.   Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:3,5-6,9 (You will be blessed if you make time to read the entire first chapter...for the sake of space I'm just putting highlights!)
Friend, is there a place you need to set your foot...a victory that has been won for you and you just need to boldly step out in an area?  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Maybe you have already stepped out and you are waiting now... Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3.  Friend, if you have boldly stepped out in faith, do not loose heart!  Joy will come!!! I will leave you thinking on these promises from the word :)

• For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  1 Corinthians 4:20
• Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.  Deuteronomy 30:11
• Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25
• For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP
• The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.  Isaiah 32:17
• I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Luke 10:19

If you have a favorite verse about boldness, courage, etc...please share it in the comments area so that we can be blessed!  Spend some time in prayer today asking God to show you if there are any areas in your life where you need to yield to His power working in you.  He desires to use your life to bring Him glory!  Will you allow Him to make you bold and courageous...will you (like those we've read about today) lead a group in celebration through His power working in your life?  Maybe you have tried to be bold and confident on your own-to lead by your power...go to the throne, we can't do it alone!  Praise be to our Lord Jesus who enables us to boldly approach the throne!!!



Courageous

Courage-the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.  Synonyms 1. fearlessness, dauntlessness, intrepidity, spirit. (dictionary.com)

Let's continue learning about boldness from the people of the Bible.  Daniel and his three friends displayed courage.  Daniel survived a night in the lion's den.  They were not afraid to be different, they stood the test of fire (the 3 friends did literally!).  They trusted God and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God Daniel 3:28. Sometimes the most courageous and bold thing is to NOT do what others are doing!! How were they able to be so brave?  What can we glean from reading their story?  Here's what I found in the book of Daniel as the Holy Spirit revealed profiles of courage. 

• Daniel resolved not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8) Makes me think of 1 Corinthians 10:23 Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial...
• God gave them knowledge and understanding of all kinds (Daniel 1:17)
• Daniel used wisdom and tact when speaking to the commander of the guard (Daniel 2:14)
• Daniel displayed thankfulness and humility by praising God (Daniel 2:23, 28)
• The Spirit was evident to others in Daniel's life (Daniel 4:8)
• Daniel told the truth about the king's dream even though it was bad news (Daniel 4:19-27)
• Daniel served God continually (Daniel 6:20)
• Daniel trusted God ( Daniel 6:23)

One of the things I was most excited to read was Daniel 3:21 which tells us that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had on robes and turbans as they were thrown into the fiery furnace.  Why is that significant?  I think it's significant because we too need to wear our robes and head coverings!!!
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels Isaiah 61:10.   If we are to be bold and courageous...we need the right clothes! Zechariah talks about receiving clean garments and turban and Ephesians 6 gives us instruction about the armor of God.  Christ in His sacrifice has provided them for us....put on the robe of righteousness and renew your mind to the Truth!!! She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25

Thank you Father for giving us the Word...thank you that it is so available to us-we are blessed to be able to read it anywhere, anytime!! Give us a hunger for your word and truth and change us as we are in your word. Thank you for being our provider, of battle gear and daily living necessities.  Fill us with your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we will be resolved not to defile ourselves as Daniel was.  Lord as you make us more bold and corageous through the filling of your Spirit, give us tact and keep us humble.  Lord let me always be bold enough to give you thanks and praise-for it is you working in me that brings any success.  Enable us to always speak the truth as you lead us-even if it's not what someone wants to hear.  Lord, like Daniel-let us always serve you and trust you!! Remind us who we are in Christ and prepare us for all you have in store for us!  In Jesus' name, AMEN

Still didn't get to Esther....

Facing Giants

We've been talking about boldness this week and have read about the believers in Acts, learning that boldness is available to all believers because we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and the righteous are as bold as a lion (2 Cor 5:21 and Prov 28:1). Yesterday I wrote about David and the boldness and courage he showed in trusting God to bring him victory over Goliath. 

I don’t think we face physical giants today (unless maybe you are talking about my family –at 6’4’’ I’m the shortest of my siblings! lol).  But we do ‘face giants’ each day. When we listen to the voice of truth we will have victory over any giant we may face. 

Depending on the giants you may be facing, boldness may mean different things at different times.  It may take boldness to:

• Listen to God's truth and believe...boldly overcoming the lies of the enemy
• Give thanks....boldly trusting God in every situation
• Encourage someone when it's out of your comfort zone....boldly being a doer of the word
• Care for a special needs child or family member....boldly advocating for their needs
• Love the unlovely....boldly sharing the love of Christ
• Be nice! (new post coming on this soon:)...boldly doing the right thing
• Stand your ground (this one will have a post too!)...boldly resisting the enemy (1Peter5:9)
• Speak. To anyone.  About anything. ...boldly overcoming the fear of rejection-can you tell this is me:)
• Ask for help....boldly accepting that God put us here together and life is easier with friends! 
• OBEY...ENDURE...PRESS ON

Remember this boldness does not come from your power....but from the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.  1John 4:4 NLT (If you have time, read different version of familiar verses...I love the way it comes alive when you read it in a translation you are not used to!! Youversion and Biblegateway are great places to do that for free.)

Oh Lord,  make us like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Make whatever we do prosper (Psalm 1:3)  In any area where we need to grow in courage, we trust you Lord to teach us, realizing that this is not something we can do on our own.  I give you total control in my life, I want your Spirit to fill me to the fullest...making me bold in the hope I have in you Jesus! Guide us today, fill us with your love and let it spill out on those around us!  We will give you glory as one trembling heart and soul becomes a servant bold and courageous.  In Jesus' name-AMEN

So, I didn't even get to Esther or Daniel yet...I have been learning so much:) Come back tomorrow and I'll share! Thanks for reading and subscribing...have an excellent day!

Unstoppable and Unshakeable

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:31

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 :)

Bold and Brave

I've never thought of myself as bold or brave. A few months ago I was reading through Proverbs and studying what the Word says about the righteous. Since I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21) what His word says about the righteous is true about me (not because of me).  Proverbs 28:1 stood out to me:

The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Hmmm....bold as a lion, interesting, but me? really? This will take some faith and the renewal of my mind. I could name a bold person- Paul was bold...it's recorded several time in Acts (9:28, 13:46, 14:3, 19:8) Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 28:31 

 

Also in Acts we read that it wasn't just Paul-

....And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:31      I think I will need to write more about this tomorrow! 

Since that time a few other verses have also become alive to me about boldness.  Think on these today as you find time and let God's word become alive and active in every area of your life.  He is renewing my mind as I trust the Holy Spirit to make me more bold!

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.  2 Corinthians 3:12

When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. Psalm 138:3