Speak up!

Acts 4:8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people..."    13... Now as they observed the boldness of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Acts 4:29 "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all boldness"... 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness....

Acts 28: 31  Paul was preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered.

Ephesians 3: 12 in whom (Jesus) we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

Ephesians 6:19-20.  And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Philippians 1:20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Hebrews 4: 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence (boldness) to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 10: 35 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.

1 John 2:28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have boldness and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

1 John 3:21 -22 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

1 John 4:17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

1 John 5:14  This is the boldness which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Let me introduce you to Chris.  Chris was a 2nd grader who, like many boys his age, had difficulty with self-control.  For awhile he was a frequent visitor to my office, usually after a playground scuffle.  He would shuffle in, head down, his eyes averted from mine, and he would respond to my questions with a timid, barely audible mumble.  I always had to tell him to speak up.  One Friday  (Chris having been sent to my office five times that week) I left for lunch, telling Him that I didn't want to see him in the office again unless it was good news.  Upon my return, there was Chris.  He was seated on the office bench with another little boy.  I walked past them and, when I reached my office door, I turned and asked, "Tell me Chris, is it good news or bad news?"  He looked up, his face brightened, his smile beamed, he pointed to the other boy and boldly, cheerfully proclaimed, "It's good news, Mr. Brown!  It's him!"  Chris was there as a witness instead of the perpetrator and it made all the difference in his demeanor.  No need to remind him to speak up.

Boldness, confidence, the ability to speak freely.  The New Testament writers use that word 33 times.  It describes Jesus as He interacted with His enemies.  We're told that it should describe how we share the Good News with others and how we approach our Heavenly Father, both in prayer and when we stand before Him face-to-face "on the other side."

Unfortunately that word doesn't consistently describe me in either situation.  So, what makes the difference?  Why do I sometimes mumble like Chris-in-trouble and other times speak boldly?  According to Scripture, it has to do with my being controlled by the Holy Spirit.  When I purposefully begin my day in prayer, conversing with my Father, asking for His guidance, yielding my will to His, the Holy Spirit responds by transforming timidness into confidence, fear into boldness.  That is when others notice, as with Peter and John, that I have been with Jesus.

Dear Lord, I want to speak up for You today.  I know that's Your plan, so I confidently ask You for boldness as I interact with those whom You lead  across my path.  Holy Spirit, please guide my conversations so others can see Jesus in me. Thank You! Amen.