ABC: Believe and Be Bold

In my last post, I began a series called Awesome Biblical Concepts which takes a look at two different Bible stories that teach us how to, and how not to live. I started with the letter "A", penning the phrase Ask and Accept. In today's post, it's the letter "B" accompanied with the challenging phrase: Believe and Be Bold.

Believe and Be Bold? The Lord said to Jonah, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." But Jonah rose up... found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. And the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up… At Jonah's command, the reluctant sailors hurled Jonah into to the sea and it became calm. And then mercifully, the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah (See Jonah 1:1-17). Jonah believed in God, but chose not to be bold in his faith. He actually ran in the opposite direction.

Believe and Be Bold! However, there once was a young shepherd boy named David. His father ordered him to take food to his brothers who were soldiers in the Israelite army. David went to the Valley of Elah, only to find the Israelites full of fear and dismay concerning the Philistines. Their champion-giant Goliath had been jeering them, morning and evening for forty days. Young David, uninhibited by the giant, said, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" Because David believed in his God and was bold in his faith, he picked up his sling and five stones and ran quickly toward the battle line. There in the Elah Valley, Goliath fell on his face to the ground, struck by a single stone that sank into his forehead. (See I Samuel 17)

When contrasting these two stories, the question is: When I hear uncomfortable or "impossible" instructions from the Lord, will I believe and be bold? Again, when I know that God is asking me to do something for His name's sake, will I run away from Him like Jonah, or will I run toward the battle line like David? Jonah tried to flee the prescence of the Lord, which is truly impossible; David, however, was fully assured that his God was not only with him, but also that His power was go to do the impossible through him.

I challange you to know your God, and wholeheartedly believe in all that He says He is, and then move steadily forward in boldness, knowing He will be both present and active. If you choose this route, both you and all those around you will be blessed. So decide today, my friend, to run to your battle line, because faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. (I Thess. 5:24)