100 days to Brave - Day 3
I am working through a journal a friend of mine gave me for Christmas; it’s entitled, 100 days to brave by Annie F. Downs. I’ve never thought of myself as brave nor have I thought of myself as a coward. I am using my blog to document my journey toward being brave or whatever comes out of these next 100 days. My prayer is that you’ll follow along on this journey with me, and find encouragement, wisdom and bravery as well.
Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)… Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Question: What brave steps have you already taken in obedience to God?
I love to sit with people and listen as they recount their journey of faith through different seasons of life. I find strength in hearing from others as they recount bold steps of faith without the fear of looking back or losing out. I get encouraged when I meet people who share their story of being obedient to God at all cost. I would love to hear your story and the adventure you are on with God.
Sadly, I don’t seem to meet many people who have these kinds of stories to tell or experiences of radical obedience to the voice of God speaking and guiding and directing. My fear is that we have made our faith in Jesus very safe and controlled and easy. We have forgotten how to hear the voice of Jesus whispering to us, “this is the way, walk in it”!
Reread the verse from Isaiah again; look it up in the bigger context of the story. Imagine that voice existing in your soul to tell you to “walk this way” (maybe that voice sounds a lot like Aerosmith or Run DMC)
Jesus is speaking today… are you listening? Can you hear His voice above all the other competing voices for your attention?
When Jesus speaks, His words in your soul matchup to His Word, the Bible. You can be sure and depend on that truth. His voice will guide you and His voice will give you strength. More importantly, His voice will cause you to be brave and give you the ability to obey His words…
On this day when we honor and commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King and his tireless work for the American civil rights movement, I think of a man who found the ability to be brave in the face of hatred and evil. His faith in God strengthened his resolve to do the right thing, paying the price with his life. King was largely responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Civil Rights Act banned discrimination in the workforce and public accommodations based on “race, color, religion, or national origin.” The Voting Rights Act protects African Americans' right to vote.
Not only should you get out today and serve someone in need, but do it with bravery and courage. Spend some time listening to Dr. King read his “Letter written from a Birmingham jail” written on April 16, 1963. Here is a link… YouTube