Her pain became my own in that moment.
I wasn’t even sure if I was crying for her loss or mine.
Now really wasn’t a good time for Him to ask this of me.
“God, please don’t make me do this. Please don’t put this on me. Someone else can step in.”
“But I’m asking you,” I could almost hear Him say. “You’re the one I’ve been preparing for this very thing.”
The Quest for Bold
I was sorry that I’d asked the question just a couple days before.
I could have pretended that I never did but it was right there in my journal. Written in blue ink.
It was a question that I’d asked for several days during the #BeBoldForSpiritualChange challenge and many days after. At the end of each day’s devotion, I would ask the same thing. This time, I had actually taken the time to write it down.
“What bold thing are you calling me to do, Lord?”
As many times as I’d asked it, the answer never came. Until now.
When Bold Shows Up
What do you do when Bold shows up at your door?
Do you pretend you never heard the knock? Wait for him to go away? Look around to see who else could answer?
I did all three.
Because you see, Bold showed up in a way I didn’t expect. On top of that, he asked something of me, that I felt I wasn’t prepared for. And it made me uncomfortable.
Sure, I’d said I wanted to be bold but now it felt like my obedience was being tested.
“Can’t you ask someone else? I’m sure there are others who can do it”, I tried to reason.
- “This is a task just for you”. (Jeremiah 1:5)
“But, Lord, I don’t think I can do this.”
- “You’re not alone. I am with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8, Isaiah 43:1-5)
“Now is not a good time.”
- “Just, trust me.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
That sealed the deal.
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Plus, like Jonah, I couldn’t find a place to run to where the Lord couldn’t find me.
The more I tried to bargain, the more God’s Word confirmed what He was asking me to do.
Embrace Bold
Being bold doesn’t come naturally to me. I need God to make me bold. And oh boy, does it require a lot of faith. And trust.
Maybe you’re like me and you’ve tried negotiating and bargaining with God. Because, certainly there’s someone else who can do the job.
But God has called me. And as the saying goes, “if He’s called me to it, He’ll see me through it”.
I can’t tell you exactly where Bold is taking me. And I don’t know all the details. But this one thing, I know. God is calling me to embrace Bold. And my God? He is trustworthy.
So, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m taking Bold by the hand and we’re heading out on an adventure.
I’ll keep you posted as the journey continues.
How about you?
What bold thing is God calling you to do?
And how have you responded?
Have you embraced Bold or are you running away?
Wishing you blessings,
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Marva,
I read this and I’m scared (for me) lol because I can totally relate. I want to bold but then when it is time to actually do it (whatever it is at that time), I’m like “um maybe not”. But I want to please God …. Thanks for the reminder that God will take my hand in his and will not leave me. *hugs*
I know I’m a week late on this, but I love this. Sometimes we want to pretend we don’t hear Him, but deep down we know what we have to do. And sometimes, even though we are uncomfortable and want to run, in the long run it makes us stronger and we realize we can handle more than we think we can. Going to share this on my Friday Loves this week.
Hi, Marva!
As a fellow not-so-bold person I can certainly feel your pain! It occurs to me that in choosing to “embrace bold” we are choosing to embrace Jesus, the one who makes us bold. What a glorious privilege we have to become more like Him!
Hey there, Marva! I love your boldness for Christ! True Courage is doing it afraid, isn’t it. Thanks for encouraging us to be bold when God calls. I’m embracing boldness (or maybe God is dragging me along?) and walking into unknown territory myself this week.
Yes, this, and AMEN!! Thank you for sharing, sweet sister. 😉 I’m pinning this!
Fantastic words, Marva! My word for the beginning of this year was “brave,” so this post very much resonated with me, and I think it would for most who are not the Peter type– the ones who are afraid to jump out of the boat and into the sometimes uncomfortable calling Jesus has for them. Thanks for offering your sage words, Marva!
Hi brave girl! We’ve gotta speak it into existence, right?
I’m no Peter either. The good news is God has already set out the brave, bold moves for us to make, we just need to follow Him. Let’s do this, Sarah!
Blessings! 🙂
Joshua 1:9 is one of my favorite verses; “Be bold, be strong, banish all fear and doubt for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I love how God stretches us by asking us to do the things we think we cannot do when the reality is we can do all things he calls us to do.
Be bold my sister!
God bless you…
Oh, Yvonne, reading your words gave me chills. Thank you so much for speaking those words of boldness into me. I needed that!
You’ve been such a blessing and I’m glad you stopped by!
Boldness never came easy to me either. I have anxiety, so I feel like it’s rather impossible for me to be bold at times. Asking myself these questions is definitely something I should try!
God knows exactly what you need, Rachel and I pray He will give you the boldness you need at just the right time. He’s such a personal God and will meet you right where you are. Having time to reflect and check in with Him is always helpful.
I pray you were blessed by your visit here!
Embracing boldness doesn’t always come naturally to me, either. Thank you for this encouragement, Marva. Yes, God has already prepared us when he asks us to step out in obedience- and he’s right there with us every step of the way. That is such a comfort.
I’m so glad He doesn’t leave us. I need all the support I can get and He knows that very well. 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to stop by today, Dawn. I appreciate you, friend!
Boldness tells me to step out of my comfort zone and be ready for my calling. Boldness demands my faith. Powerful message. Isaiah 43 tells me to face the storm along with the Lord and not run away.
God bless,
Diana
Diana, I just love how you beautifully summed that up. It really is that simple isn’t it?
I pray that you will be bold for Him today!
Thanks for stopping by and adding a spark to the conversation.
Your heart here just blesses me! Yes, I’ve had too many times when I wanted to run screaming from the bold thing God was asking me to do. I’m sure there have been times I’ve succeeded in running the other way. Thank you for boldly sharing this journey with us and giving us courage and hope in His ability to help us accomplish all that He asks us to do! Blessings, my friend!
Thank you for sharing so honestly, Deb. I wish I could run away but Jonah taught me a big lesson. Lol 🙂
I’m happy to share my journey in the hopes that it will inspire someone else to live boldly for God. He is faithful and will be with us every step of the way. Even (and especially) the uncomfortable parts.
Blessings to you, dear friend!
One of my phrases for the year is Boldly Living! I know God’s nudging me to seek Him more and listen! I know what I’d like to do, what bold step I would like to take, but then it is about ME! I so look forward to hearing how He is calling you to boldly live, Marva! It is inspiring!
Lynn, as you continue to seek Him, I know He will make it clear if what you want is also His will. Keep showing up and trusting Him.
As for my bold step, I too have to trust one step at a time. I’ll be honest, it’s not comfortable but I know that God is calling me to step out with Him in the lead.
C’mon, Lynn, let’s be bold together!
This blog post reminded me of a bible study I gave awhile back about fear. We challenged each other to break down one fear each week for a month. And when we shared together all the ways God strengthened our testimonies and character through those experiences, we all learned a lot about boldness that month.
Wow, that sounds like a time of amazing transformation, Javon. God really moves powerfully when we submit fully to him. Thank you so much for sharing that win with us. God is good!
This was beautiful Marva! Being bold in our faith is so difficult. But so rewarding too! Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!
Thanks so much, Esther. I love that scripture you mentioned reminding me that God is always with me!
You’re a shining light in my day!
Blessings.