Dare to be Bold

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth,

words may be given me so that I will fearlessly

make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Ephesians 6:19 (NIV)

My granddaughter Lola B. taught me a great lesson on being bold when she was in the second grade. Her sister Ava, who was a first grader, was being bullied by another student. Ava, who was very shy, had tried unsuccessfully to get the girl to stop her behavior but it continued.

So Lola, who loved Ava very much, decided at 7 years old to help her 6 year old sister out.

Digging deep inside for courage, Lola walked up to the girl as she stood in the hallway with a friend. “I am Ava’s older sister and I understand that you have been bullying her. It needs to stop right now and I am going to tell your teacher about it.”

The girl looked a bit surprised but quickly nodded “okay.”

Then Lola went to Ava’s classroom and found her teacher. “Hi. I am Lola, Ava’s older sister. I want you to know what is going on with Ava being bullied. And I want to let you know that I will be speaking to my mother about this.” Mercy.

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Oh to have the courage to be bold! That is something that I certainly need when I want to share Jesus. Can you relate?

The Scripture in Ephesians 6:19 speaks directly to that. Paul says “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Why am I not bold when sharing what the Lord has done in my life? Why can’t I tell others about His goodness and mercy and forgiveness and hope?

Honestly, I cannot come up with a good reason. Only excuses.

Like, I’m afraid the person won’t like me anymore and no longer be my friend. Or, I think they will look at my life and all my flaws and failures and see me as a hypocrite. And, maybe I will say the wrong words. Good grief!

Paul wrote this passage as he sat in prison. In prison and thinking of how to share Jesus! And I can’t share because I am afraid that someone won’t like me? Shame on me.

Can I tell you that the bullying stopped? It did. All because of the boldness of a 7 year old little girl who loved her sister very much and was not afraid to speak truth.  

How much more can we do to speak the name of Jesus in love and share the hope He gives to us all. Dare to be bold!

Father, please help me to share your hope through Jesus with love and courage. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

                                                    R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Can you think of a time when the Lord nudged you to share His love and mercy with someone but you hesitated because of one of the above excuses?

Application

• Journal the names of five people in your life who need to know about the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

• Beside each name write your excuse or reason for not yet sharing Him.

• Pray over each name, asking the Lord to give you courage and boldness in love to speak to them. Then do that this week. Journal the result.

Power Verses

• Ephesians 6:19 (NIV) “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

• Acts 4:29 (NIV) “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”

• Joshua 1:9 (NIV) “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.”

• Acts 28:31 (NIV) “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

• Matthew 28:19 (NIV) “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .”    

Jerry’s Christmas

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You

will find a baby wrapped in clothes

and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever present smile minus two front teeth.

Jerry was a first grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care.

And this Christmas season was no different.

As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

There was some success but at a price…a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have every thing they see on television?”

Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first grade hall and saw Jerry coming toward me in his winter coat that was about three sizes too large and worn tennis shoes minus the laces.

“Hey, Jerry! How are you?” “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas…Jesus’ birthday…did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.”

At this point I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.

As I bent down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued. “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” he exclaimed as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I will get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

As I hugged Jerry and sent him on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree…and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.

Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son.  May we never forget that He went from a manger to the cross for us.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

• Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

Application

• Sit down with your children and help them write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

• Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

Power Verses

• Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” 

• Romans 6:23 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

• 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

• John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

• Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Are You Going With Me?

“The Lord himself goes before you and

will be with you; he will never leave you

nor forsake you. Do not be afraid;

do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

I had a surgery scheduled to remove a small fatty tumor on the back of my neck.  The doctor said that it was a minor procedure and he could do it in his office – no problem. He explained exactly what he was going to do and what he expected to find.

And yet, because it was on my neck, I was more than a little concerned. Yes, he’s a great doctor and no, he would not have said he could do the removal in his office if he could not. But I still had considerable apprehension at what was going to take place.

Oh, I prayed about the surgery but my prayers went something like this: "Lord, I am really nervous about the surgery on my neck. What if there is a problem? What if something gets cut that isn't supposed to? What if I can't lie still like the doctor wants me to?" and on and on and on. Can you relate?

And then one day, after a month of approaching the Lord repeatedly with my “what if” sessions, I think He felt He needed to reassure me. My Bible fell open to the Old Testament and I found myself reading Deuteronomy 31:8.  “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."  

It was at that very moment that the Lord whispered to my heart. “I am not going to leave you at the door of the doctor’s office and say ‘See you when you are done.’ I will never leave you – remember? I will walk through the door first, be there through the surgery, and walk out through that same door with you. Just as I have always done. Always.”

I know. I know. How many hundreds or even thousands of times in the past had the Lord gone before me, making a path, and then stayed right by my side. And yet, here I was, facing the unknown and thinking that just maybe, on THIS journey, Jesus would decide not to go.  

So let’s be honest: what “door” are you entering, afraid that the Lord will not go with you? Maybe it’s divorce or financial problems or a prodigal child. Or it could be health issues or broken friendships or a new job in a different state.

Whatever the situation, rest assured that just as Moses shared with the Israelites that the Lord would not only be with them but would lead the way, He will be with each of us, no matter what we face or what “door” we may be going through. Always.

May I share with you that Jesus did just as He promised. He did. He stayed with me and kept me calm and at peace. I felt His presence during the procedure and thanked Him when it was over.

No matter what “door” you may be facing today, thank the Lord for not only going with you, but leading the way. “Are you going with me, Lord?” Always.

Father, Thank You for Your faithfulness to stay right by my side, no matter what I have faced in the past or will face in the future. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·        Have you ever been faced with a “door” that you were truly afraid to go through?

·        Did you realize that the Lord was at your side and would never leave you?

Application

·        Journal some of the “’doors” that you have gone through over the past few years.

·        Beside each one, write a sentence of praise for how the Lord stayed with you through each and every one and never left your side.

Power Verses

• Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
• Exodus 33:14 (NIV) “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
• Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 
• Psalm 94:14 (NIV) “For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.”
• John 14:18 (NIV) “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

The Value of a Name

 “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.

I will never blot out his name from the book of life,

but will acknowledge his name before

my Father and his angels.”

Revelation 3:5 (NIV)

I have an old red sweater. The tag says “This has been knitted especially for you with love by Patty Hallam.”  It is a comfort to me…it is precious to me.

Why? Well, first of all, it was made for me by someone who loves me – my sister.

Secondly, when I am hurting, when I am sad, when I need to hide away from the world for a while, I pull out that sweater and I wrap it around me like the hug from an old friend. I immediately have a sense of not only warmth, but security and peace.

           

But you know something? Some day, when I am gone, that sweater will be given away, perhaps to Good Will.

Someone will look at it and the tag and say “Patty Hallam…who is that? Who cares?” and my sweater will no longer be a source of warmth and security nor will it be considered precious but instead will be a rag for soaking up oil from an engine or tossed in the trash because it is no longer in style.

And why is that? Because no one will know the name of the person who worked so hard to create it out of love for another and they will not recognize its value.

How wonderful it is that Jesus not only knows each of our names but considers us precious in His sight. We read in Revelation 3:5 this beautiful promise:  “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”   

Can you imagine Jesus speaking our names to His Father? And if that’s not enough to encourage us, we read in Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

How amazing is that! Our names are not penciled in which can be easily erased or written with permanent ink which fades with time but engraved by Jehovah Himself. And why has He done that? Because He created us. Because He loves us. Because we are precious to Him.

The name on a tag in an old red sweater may not mean anything except to the person who made it or the person wearing it. But the names engraved on the palms of our Father’s hands will be spoken with love in heaven for eternity.   

Father, thank you. Thank you for knowing my name. Thank you for loving me so much that you call me your very own child. Give me courage to share that love no matter where I am. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P.  it up

Reflect

• Have you ever considered that God calls you by name as His child because you are truly special to Him?

Application

• Tattoos are popular in today’s society. When you see a person with one, remember that our Father has an eternal “tattoo” of you on His hand. Lift him or her up and specifically pray that, if they do not know our King, they will seek His face.

• When the Lord lays someone’s name on your heart to pray for them, write their initials on the palm of your hand and as you look at your hand throughout the day, pray for that person.

Power Verses

• Revelation 3:5 (NIV) “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”

• Isaiah 49:16 (NIV): “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

• John 10:3 (NIV) “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

• Isaiah 43:1 (NIV) “But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine.’”

• Luke 12:7 (NIV) “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”