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Abiding in the Lord
By Sharon Leskowat, with Lisa Bode
Imagine the restful scene of a vineyard. Dewdrops cling to
brilliant grapes, flinging their fragrance out to the morning breeze. Shadows
play on the fuzzy leaves of the grapevine branches as the rough, gnarled vine
lifts them to the sunshine.
My family has fond memories of our travels to the charming
state of Arkansas. There we saw vast spreads of luscious vineyards and quaint
roadside stands selling bushels of fragrant grapes. When I picked up a vine
keeper’s book, a whole new wealth of insight was opened to me. I discovered
the secret of the vine which Jesus speaks of in John 15.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser.” The fragrant fruit of this vine witnessed the joy of the Lord
in His first miracle when He turned water into wine. It communicated His
selfless love to His disciples as He handed them the cup and said, “This…
is the new covenant in My blood….” - Luke 22:20b. And it holds the
promise of His anticipation of the day we will meet Him face to face! “…I
will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink
it new with you in My Father's kingdom.” - Matthew 26:29.
The vineyard
In a fruitful vineyard, grapevines are skillfully tended by
their keeper, the vinedresser. If a branch of the vine is weak or easily
diseased, his capable hands cut it from the roots and carve two slits deep into
its heart. Then he lays it aside.
A strong, healthy vine is then sacrificed to give a similar
cutting. It, too, is cut deep into the heart. The keeper slides his first
cutting into the strong vine, and it makes a perfect one. The keeper then binds
them tightly together. Soon the branch begins to grow, putting out leaves and
tendrils that twist and tangle together.
No other plant would more eagerly run wild than the
grapevine! Few plants require such constant, hands-on care. Crooked vines harbor
disease and insects that would harm the vine, and twisted branches keep the
leaves from receiving the sunlight they need. A wise keeper will keep constant
watch over his vines. All summer long, every day, he patiently untangles and
prunes the branches, positioning their leaves in the sun as they grow.
Hints of autumn begin to show after a rigorous summer. The
wind carries a nip. Daytime hours become shorter. One would expect the grapevine
to be fragrant with bunches of fruit! But no – its first three years are spent
putting energy not into fruit, but into strengthening its wood. Only as the
branches grow straight, strong, and healthy will they bear good fruit.
Finally the year comes for the vine to bear fruit! Tiny
clusters of blossoms swell into little green berries. In time, the blossoms drop
and the berries soak up the sunlight and sweeten into the brilliant grapes we
enjoy. The keeper provides the constant care and the vine supplies the needed
energy, but the branch is privileged to bear the beautiful fruit.
Jesus is the Vine; we are the branches
Like the grapevine, we were grafted into the Lord Jesus
Christ. God, in His mercy, saved us from our diseased sin nature and grafted us
into His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of His wonderful sacrifice, He abides in us
(John 15:4)! Now we are alive in His righteousness – one with Him. We are
bound tightly by His own promise that He is able to keep us from falling and
none shall snatch us out of His hand (Jude vs. 24, John 10:28).
The branch is no longer weak – it is one with the strong
and healthy vine!
We, too, must be one with our Vine – the Lord Jesus Christ.
There can be no abiding in Him if you doubt your salvation and acceptance before
God. If you doubt, make sure of your salvation before Him. Make sure that you
have understood your sin and its eternal consequences (Romans 3:23 and 6:23),
that you confess this sin to God (1 John 1:9), accept the death of Christ as
payment for your sin (Romans 5:8), and confess Him as your risen Saviour (Romans
10:9). Be satisfied with Jesus Christ, who has satisfied God on your behalf!
The secret of abiding
From the worn and dirt-speckled pages of the vine keeper’s
book, I discovered that the branch of the grapevine wants to bear fruit during
its first years. But it must wait. For its first three years, it must put its
energy into strengthening its wood.
The branch cannot grow on its own. It pulls its life-giving
energy from the strength of the vine’s wood. It can only become strong as it
receives life from the vine. If the branch would bear fruit right away, its wood
would be too weak to hold the heavy clusters of grapes.
A grapevine exists for one reason only – to bear fruit. But
luscious grapes can only come if the branch abides in the vine. It knows that it
must put the vine first to accomplish this goal.
The humble vine keeper’s book sparkled with meaning! Just
like the eager branch, we want so much to see progress and growth, to be doing
things and going places. Yet our strength and life are in our Vine, the Lord
Jesus Christ. We will only bear spiritual fruit if we put our Vine first and
draw strength from our relationship with Him.
Putting Christ first means to place Him first on the throne
of our hearts – first in our day, first in our thoughts, first in our
priorities. It means to spend time daily with the Lord and to seek His will and
ways in everything we do. Our one desire should be to know the Lord Jesus.
Is there something crowding Jesus Christ out of His rightful
place as Lord of your life – out of the “firsts” of your priorities, time,
and thoughts? Have you made Him second to priorities in sports, hobbies, and
friends; time spent watching television or movies; foolish thoughts from reading
defrauding books? Even time spent in reading good books, writing letters,
emailing, and being involved in service projects can quickly crowd our schedules
and crowd out God. Perhaps some things should be set aside to make time for your
Vine.
Let Philippians 3:8-10 become your prayer, too: “More
than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, …that I may know
Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being conformed to His death;”
“Abide in My words”
To abide is to have a personal relationship with our Vine,
the Lord Jesus. What a privilege! Abiding is me knowing and loving the Lord
Jesus. It is me needing and resting in His strength. It is me seeking and
watching for His guidance in my life.
Do I desire to know the Lord? My parents, friends, and church
may know and love the Lord, but I myself must know and love Him, too.
We begin to know and love the Lord as we read the Bible and
speak with Him in prayer. A quiet time before the demands and busyness of the
day is the best way to make sure the Lord is first in your life.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the
man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy
3:16-17. Reading favorite verses or whichever passage we happen to flip to is
wonderful. But it is through reading all of Scripture that the Lord gives
His promise in 2 Timothy. A daily schedule to read all the way through the Bible
is the best way to experience what the Lord longs to give us – the teaching,
reproof, correction, and training in righteousness that He promises will make us
adequate and equipped for every good work.
“Thy word I have treasured in my heart, how sweet are
Thy words to my taste!” - Psalm 119:103a. The Lord wants us to treasure
and anticipate His Word!
I read through Psalm 119 and asked the Lord to teach me to
love and treasure His Word in the same way the Psalmist did. Here are some ways
He gave me:
Prayer and Worship
Before my Bible reading each morning, I’ve begun to spend a
short time in prayer before the Lord. My father encouraged me to ask the Lord to
open my heart to what He has for me in His Word before I even open the cover of
my Bible. This made me realize even more that the Bible is the Word of
God – the Lord speaking to me.
This isn’t my “prayer list time”, but rather a time
when I quiet my heart from all the thoughts running through my mind. I ask the
Lord to reveal unconfessed sin that I need to clear up, because hidden sin will
break off my communication with Him.
Sometimes I’ll think of a Name of God to thank and praise
Him for, such as “my Comforter” or “the Lifter of my head”. Often I’ll
keep remembering this Name throughout the day and “run into it” as a strong
tower (Proverbs 18:10).
Sometimes I sing a hymn or read a psalm to the Lord, and
thank Him for the way He’s fulfilled His promises. This has become a time I
look forward to every morning – being able to talk with the Lord!
Remove Removeable Distractions!
Some distractions can’t be removed! But others can, such as
loose ends that float around in my mind. I keep a notepad with me during my
quiet time to write these thoughts down. This keeps these things from
interrupting my attention to God’s Word. Sometimes these “interrupter
thoughts” are unquestionably promptings of His Holy Spirit. By writing them
down, I am able to experience communion with God and to obey as He leads. (“Communion
with God before work for God.” - George Müller.)
Keep His Word
After I’ve asked for His revealing, sometimes the Lord
brings me an encouraging verse or a small reminder to tuck away. I’ve enjoyed
writing down what He shows me in my journal. It helps me think it through, and I
also can go back and read it later (just like looking back through old pictures
and seeing how much I’ve grown or changed)!
Sometimes I’ll write the verse or reminder on a little
piece of paper and put it in my pocket to think about all day. I like to keep
several small bookmarks in my Bible that I move around frequently to these
special spots. Then, whenever I open my Bible, it falls right to one of those
beautiful words to me from my Lord Jesus!
Encourage Others
I write regularly to my older sister (who is ministering in
Indiana) and to other friends, and we enjoy sharing encouragement the Lord has
given us. We call them our “epistles”! Sharing the Word is a wonderful way
to remind myself what the Lord has taught me and also to inspire and edify
others.
Dear girls, I encourage you to ask the Lord for ways to make
His Word precious and meaningful to you, too! Psalm 119 expresses over and over
again a longing to keep and treasure God’s Word. Since He so delights in us,
let us delight in Him, too (Psalm 35:27)!
“Ask whatever you wish”
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” - John 15:7. Prayer is
perhaps the most neglected element in our Christian lives today. I find myself
wanting to feel the presence of God without wanting to go through the asking to
receive it.
Robert Murray McCheyne said, “I ought to pray before seeing
any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or
twelve o’clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system....
Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: ‘Early
will I seek Thee’; ‘Thou shalt early hear my voice.’ Family prayer loses
much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek
from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then
when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune. I feel it is far better to
begin with God – to see His face first, to get my soul near Him before it is
near another.” - Robert Murray McCheyne.
One blessing of prayer is that it helps me look for
God’s working. Last winter, there was one particular day I was feeling
overwhelmed. I was sewing along on a shoulder-to-hem seam on a dress I was
making, and I asked the Lord to assure me that He was watching over me. I got to
the end of my seam just then, and as I pulled it off the sewing machine, there
was only about an inch of bobbin thread left. Those of you who sew can identify
with my relief that the bobbin thread hadn’t run out before I finished! My
heart overflowed with the Lord’s comfort that was so near and real to me –
because I’d asked Him! If I hadn’t asked, I probably wouldn’t have thought
twice about it. But I saw God’s work because I had asked.
Psalm 34:8a says: “O taste and see that the Lord is
good;” To taste, we have to put food into our mouths; to see, we have to
look with our eyes. To taste and see that the Lord is good, we have to be asking
and looking for His goodness! We abide in the Lord when we place our needs into
His hands and look for Him to answer. We can completely miss His answers
and the sweet trust of abiding if we aren’t “tasting and seeing” His
goodness.
“... the prayer of the upright is His delight.” -
Proverbs 15:8. He loves to hear and answer our prayers!
Bearing much fruit!
It’s so easy to jump right out of the abiding that blossoms
during our quiet time and start dealing with the day in our own strength.
Actually, quiet time and “real life” should never be separated. To abide
means “to remain; continue; stay”. This fellowship with the Lord must
continue through the day!
How do we remain in fellowship with God? If you
faithfully value your morning quiet time, you’ll find it much easier to abide
in the Lord throughout each day. Commit each activity of your day to Him and
think about Him while you do it. Send up “flare prayers”. Bring Him into
your conversations. Listen to music that glorifies Him. Share with others what
He’s doing in your life.
“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry
aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” – Psalm 55:17. A morning quiet time
is only a start! Try having a short prayer and Bible reading time (approximately
ten minutes) after lunch. Then close each day by reading another short passage
of Scripture (i.e., a psalm) and praying, either alone or with your roommate.
This calms your spirit and allows you to meditate on Scripture as you fall
asleep so you can abide in the Lord throughout the night. When morning comes,
you’ll be ready for your quiet time again!
Does a schedule like this sound over-spiritual and
unrealistic? Then ask yourself this question: what is more important than
abiding in the Lord? It is only through personal effort and sacrifice that we
gain closeness to God.
This is the schedule that I have found works best for me
(Lisa) right now. As soon as I wake up in the morning (fully wake up,
which usually requires showering, washing my face, or doing something to bring
me to my senses J),
I have my quiet time. I spend about fifteen minutes praying, re-reading the
psalm I read the night before, and committing my day to the Lord.
After eating breakfast and finishing my morning cleaning, I
read one chapter in the Old Testament and one chapter in the New Testament (more
or less). Then shortly after lunch I read the chapter in Proverbs for the day.
Right before I go to bed I read a psalm and have a short prayer time.
Making prayer and Bible reading permanent habits will
keep you abiding in the Lord twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It is
only when we fail to maintain these Godly habits that we “drift” from the
Lord Jesus and stop bearing fruit.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in
Me…. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to
be My disciples.” - John 15:4,8.
When a branch of the grapevine starts growing out on its own,
it stops bearing fruit because its strength now comes from itself and not from
the vine. This branch has to be pruned back severely until it learns to rely on
and abide in the vine.
The fruit-bearing strength we have does not come from
ourselves, either. It comes from our Vine, the Lord Jesus. Any fruit “we”
bear is only His righteousness as we become conformed to His image
(Romans 8:29).
When I try my best to please God, when I
try to do good things on my own strength, then how does God, the One
we are trying to please, see this effort? “…all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags….” - Isaiah 64:6 (emphasis added).
James 4:6-10 says as we humble ourselves, realizing that our very nature is
incapable of doing any good, God will give us grace.
Picture this: your baby brother needs his diaper changed, and
the position of Diaper-Changer is open for the filling. A quick recognition to
the Lord that I have no good in me to take the initiative to be Diaper-Changer,
a cry for His grace to be a servant for Him, and an action based on His strength
as I pick up the baby and do the job – now this commonplace task has become a
holy act of love to my Lord! This is abiding in the Vine, receiving from His
righteousness the initiative to change the baby. This is the fruit that glistens
with the beauty of the Lord and glorifies our Father in heaven!
Or picture this: Grandma needs to come stay with the family.
She needs a downstairs room with a window and her own bathroom, and guess whose
room that is? Dad and Mom ask if it’s all right, and all I have to do is say
“no”. Realizing that all I have really belongs to the Lord, I ask for His
love and selflessness to fill my heart, and I give my room to Grandma. This is
abiding in the Vine, bearing fruit that glorifies God. This is life after “Quiet
Time” – this constant drawing from the Lord’s strength and realizing that
“my goodness” is really the Lord’s righteousness in me.
The grapevine’s fruit is a beautiful testimony to the
strength of the vine and the watchfulness of its keeper. The fruit brings no
glory to the branch. It only reflects the qualities of the vine and the keeper.
The fruit we bear brings glory to our Vine and our Keeper. It
is a testimony of the faithfulness of our God. It is the evidence of a living
Christ who indwells us! And so we should desire all the more to bear much fruit
to glorify the Father.
Opportunities for ministry give tremendous potential for
bearing fruit. This ministry may be in our own homes, in our churches or
neighborhoods, to people we know and identify with. It may be in a larger area,
such as in another state or country, to people we don’t know or with whom we
can’t identify easily. Be alert and available to serve as the Lord leads
through the direction, provision, and protection of your parents!
If we are seeking to deepen our life testimony through a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, we can trust
the Lord to broaden our ministry to others and to bring ways to bear fruit that
will glorify His Name. We don’t have to go out on our own to find ministries;
if we are abiding in the Lord, He will bring them to us.
When abiding is interrupted
The electricity goes out. Someone hangs up the phone on you.
A light bulb burns out. Interruptions! Yes, even this sweet abiding in the Vine
will be interrupted. When there is no joy in Jesus Christ and no hunger for His
righteousness, something is wrong in our communication with the Lord. What
should we do about these dry times – times when we feel so faraway, depressed
or distracted, seemingly disconnected from God?
Check if you have grieved the Lord through sinning. “If
I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;” - Psalm 66:18.
Unconfessed sin will break off our abiding in the Vine. Be quick to ask the Lord
to reveal hidden sin, and to repent and ask His forgiveness. Follow through with
clearing your conscience with those you may have offended, making restitution if
necessary.
Check if you are spending regular time with the Lord. What
things can you set aside in order to put your relationship with your Vine first?
Daniel told King Belshazzar that God took his kingdom from him because “…the
God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified.”
– Daniel 5:23. Take the time to worship the Vine, in whom is our life!
Check if you are honoring our parents and others in
authority. The Lord says that through obedience and honor of our parents, it
will be well with us (Ephesians 6:1-3). In my heart, as well as in my actions,
am I cheerfully obedient to even hints of their wishes? Do I pray for them (1
Timothy 2:1-2)? Am I harboring a grudge of bitterness against their decisions or
discipline or direction? Am I looking for ways to honor and encourage them, in
little things as well as in big things? Do I have a grateful and loyal spirit
toward my family?
Does the discouragement and “faraway-ness” linger after
these checks? If so, remember this: “Even in our fluctuations of feeling, it
is well to remember that Jesus admits no change in His affections; your heart is
not the compass Jesus saileth by.” – Samuel Rutherford.
Perhaps you’re carrying cares the Lord means for His
shoulders to carry. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of
God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He
careth for you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-7.
Perhaps a grateful spirit is missing in your perspective. “As
you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been
firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just
as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” - Colossians
2:6-7.
Perhaps you’re looking for the approval of man rather than
that of God. “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I
striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a
bond-servant of Christ.” - Galatians 1:10.
Or maybe you are just physically tired. “Come to Me, all
who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you,
and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest
for your souls.” - Matthew 11:28-29.
In all things, the Lord still calls us to turn to Himself.
Remember He has said, “…I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed
you on the palms of My hands; …If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for
He cannot deny Himself. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (Isaiah
49:15-16a, 2 Timothy 2:13, James 4:8a).
What kind of vine am I?
A grapevine is a tender thing, easily harmed by weather, soil
conditions, or rough handling. Relationships are tender, too – often taken for
granted. Many things will try to steal our time and affections from our Vine.
But the pleasures of sin are only for a season. We must keep our relationship
with the Lord carefully guarded.
The vine keeper’s book had a little section in the back
that caught my eye. It described different qualities of grapevines.
One said, “Aromatic. Grows well where many others fail.”
Another: “Lacks vigor on own roots. Moderately productive.”
Still another: “Fairly productive. Needs heavy pruning.”
And finally, “Vigorous. Productive.”
What does my Keeper think about the condition of my
relationship with my Vine? Do I “grow well where others fail” because I’m
trusting in Jesus’ strength? Do I only bear some fruit because I am not rooted
in Christ as I should be? Do I need “heavy pruning” – constant cutting
back because I quickly grow out on my own? Am I “vigorous and productive”
for His glory?
How does the Keeper of the spiritual vineyard see your
relationship with the Lord Jesus?©
Names
of God: I AM
By Mrs. Mary Zander and Amy Zander
In Exodus 3:13, Moses asked, “…Behold, when I come
unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers
hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I
say unto them?”
The Lord’s answer seemed quite simple, but was eloquent in
meaning: “…I AM THAT I AM… Thus shalt thou say unto the children of
Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” - Exodus 3:14
Searching the Scriptures, we’ve found that this is the
name that sums up all that God is – “I AM.” The personal pronoun I
is singular. There is only one God we must worship and serve with all our
hearts. He is a personal God and individually deals with each of us (see
Revelation 2:23). The verb AM is a statement of the omnipresent,
omniscient God of all ages. “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside
me there is no God.” - Isaiah 44:6b. The I AM of Scripture is sent unto us
also, and we can meet and know Him through His precious Word!
In the New Testament, Jesus declared the marvelous truth of
His deity to the Jewish people: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am.” - John 8:58b. Jesus was the great I AM come to earth
to redeem all who believe Him!
Do we take the time to know the I AM of the Bible? He is
found in quiet times as we put aside the noise and the flurry of daily activity
and plans. We need to seek Him, as Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still, and know
that I am God….” In silent expectation we can hear God’s still small
voice say to us, “…This is the way, walk ye in it….” - Isaiah
30:21.
We see I AM in 1 Kings 20:28 “…Because the Syrians
have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys,
therefore will I deliver all this great multitude… and ye shall know that I am
the Lord.” We grew so excited when we saw this verse! Our blessed Saviour
is not only the God of the hills – the “mountain top” victory experiences
we have in our lives, but He also is the God of the valleys – the times
of sorrow, temptation, pain, and heavy burdens. Song of Solomon 2:1 says, “I
am… the lily of the valleys.” His blessed presence is with us always (Matthew
28:20)!
We challenge you to take the time to do a word search and
discover the many places in Scripture that reveal God as I AM. Here are a few:
-
I am the Lord that doth sanctify you (Exodus 31:13)
-
I am the bread of life (John 6:35)
-
I am the light of the world (John 8:12)
-
I am the door (John 10:7)
-
I am the good shepherd (John 10:11)
-
I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
-
I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)
-
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I
am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)
-
I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too
hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)
-
I am gracious. (Exodus 22:27)
-
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I
have strength. (Proverbs 8:14)
-
I am he that comforteth you. (Isaiah 51:12)
-
I am merciful. (Jeremiah 3:12)
-
I am meek and lowly in heart. (Matthew 11:29)
Jesus’ words often perplexed those who heard
Him. He said, “…Ye
are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.”
- John 8:23. This was not clearly understood until John 8:28 was fulfilled (at
Calvary and the Resurrection): “…When ye have lifted up the Son of man,
then shall ye know that I am he….”
God is not of the world – He is from above; and we who have
been redeemed by His blood are now no longer of this world and will someday be
with Christ in Heaven! “And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly…. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?…But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:49, 54-57.
I AM – what a marvelous name for our God!©
Boldness
By Alisha Hines and Lara Bode
Although boldness is a positive quality found in the Bible,
today the word “boldness” is often equated with forwardness,
flirtatiousness, self-centeredness, and pride. Until I began to study verses
about true boldness, I had almost thought of it as a negative trait!
We see in Acts 4 that when the Sanhedrin commanded Peter and
John not to teach in the name of Jesus, Peter and John prayed, “Now, Lord,
look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness
they may speak Your word.”- Acts 4:29 [emphasis added]. God answered their
prayer: “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled
together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they
spoke the word of God with boldness.” - Acts 4:31.
So clearly, there is a type of boldness that is honoring to
God and appropriate for believers. The Bible has a lot to say about boldness,
and as we learn how to engraft this important quality into our lives, we can
become more effective witnesses for Christ.
Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English
Language equates boldness with courage, defining it as “bravery; that
quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with
firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits”.
The Scriptural concept of boldness can be divided into two
main areas: (1) the confidence that we as believers have in Christ, and (2)
witnessing boldly to others.
Confidence in Christ
Before we can experience boldness in sharing the
Gospel, we
must first have our confidence rooted firmly in God, not in ourselves. (This is
the primary difference between worldly “boldness” and the true boldness
which the Bible praises.)
Look closely at the following Scripture verses: “…
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence
through faith in Him.” - Ephesians 3:11b-12. "Now this is the
confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will,
He hears us." - 1 John 5:14. We see here that boldness is not simply
feeling self-assured. Boldness comes from realizing how powerful God is and
understanding that He hears my prayers.
As evidenced by the Biblical account of Peter and John,
boldness based on God’s awesome power conquers fear. “For He Himself has
said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The
Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” – Hebrews
13:5b-6.
Once we realize the incredible power of God, He wants us not
to shrink away in fear, but to have boldness and come to Him confidently because
we are washed clean from our sins by the blood of Jesus. “Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to
help in time of need…. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus,… let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith….” – Hebrews 4:16; 10:19, 22a.
If we do not have faith in God’s amazing power, and the
ability to boldly bring our requests to Him, then our witnessing will be ineffective.
Witnessing with Boldness
The Institute in Basic Life Principles defines boldness as
“confidence that what I have to say or do is true and right and just in the
sight of God”.
The Apostle Paul asked the believers in Ephesus to pray for
him, “…that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel… that in it I may speak boldly, as
I ought to speak.” - Ephesians 6:19-20 [emphasis added]. Sisters, we
must boldly share God’s truth with others! This is a non-optional command. “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations….” - Matthew 28:19a.
Did you know that the Bible commands us over four hundred and
fifty times “do not fear”? God wants us to focus on Him, not on what other
people think. You may feel as if you are too young, too shy, or too
inexperienced to witness and encourage others. It’s easy to sit back in the
shadows and wait for someone who looks more competent to meet a need you see.
But that’s wrong! It doesn’t matter what you are – what
matters is what God is. He’s powerful enough to do good works through
you. You must only be bold enough to be willing for Him to use you. He loves to
use those who are weak in their own strength (see 2 Corinthians 12:9).
If you regularly remember all that Christ has done for you,
you will have an easier time joyfully and sweetly sharing His Word with others.
Pray that the Lord would make you bold to speak for Christ, and not ashamed of
His Gospel. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
power of God to salvation for everyone who believes….” - Romans 1:16a.
I enjoy sharing the Gospel by giving tracts to people I meet
briefly, such as the bank teller, the post-office worker, the Wal-Mart clerk,
etc. Choose tracts carefully; be sure you read them thoroughly before giving
them out. I normally give a tract when I am paying someone at a store. I look at
them, smile, and confidently say, “Here’s something for you”, and hold out
the tract (or, better yet, set it down on the counter in front of them). I have
never had anyone refuse it.
Paul’s ministry was effective as “…he spoke boldly
in the name of the Lord Jesus….” – Acts 9:29. God blesses those who
minister boldly. “Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly
in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs
and wonders to be done by their hands.” – Acts 14:3.
I am finding that if I keep Christ in the forefront of my
mind all day and stay in constant contact with Him through prayer and obeying
the promptings of His Spirit, witnessing comes much more easily.
Boldness in sharing God’s truth needs to be consistent; it
is not something you can try once in awhile. Paul’s ministry brought forth
fruit as he continually showed boldness: “And he went into the
synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning
the things of the kingdom of God.” – Acts 19:8.
Check Your Motives
While we definitely should have boldness in sharing God's
truth with others, too often we only step forward boldly for self-promotion. I
think of the story of Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5), who boldly came forward
to receive recognition and reward for service that should have been rendered for
God's glory. Instead, their dreams of acknowledgement and achievement dissolved
when God punished them with death. They may have stepped forward boldly, but for
totally the wrong reasons.
When we are presented with an opportunity, let's try to
examine our motives for any sign of “self”. Do our desires include
self-recognition or self-confidence (trusting in our own strength, rather than
in God)? I must admit that I many times step boldly forward, not in the
confidence of the Lord, but for selfish desires and motivation.
But in order to avoid the wrong type of boldness, should we
tiptoe around, never sharing God’s love, afraid of what others would think of
us? No! God-honoring boldness brings glory to the Lord Jesus. “Now when
they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated
and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with
Jesus.” – Acts 4:13.©
How to Do More in Less Time
By Lisa Bode
Have you ever heard that a friend of yours is getting married,
and thought how fast life is speeding by? Or have you ever realized you are now
the age you used to look up to and dream about? Compared to the incredible
length of time we have in eternity, the time we have here on earth is short –
and it’s quickly slipping by. Yet this is the only time we have to glorify God
on earth.
Moses said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12. Wisdom is an active
concept: living this day, doing this next thing, from God’s perspective, the
way God wants me to. We have numbered our days. We see they are few. Our
response is to apply our hearts to wisdom — and to get going on what the Lord
wants us to do! Thus comes the question: how can we do more in less time?
I’ve always tended to be ambitious. But unfortunately, this
has many times not been a good thing. My view of getting a lot done was to make
a plan and then work as hard at it as I could. This necessitated trying to rid
myself of interruptions, irritations, and whatever else got between me and what I
wanted to be doing.
God’s view of getting a lot done is different. It is to
discover His plan (which is often very different from ours) and work as
hard on that as we can.
God views “getting a lot done” as doing things of eternal
value. To Him, if you talk with your little sister about salvation, you’ve
gotten more done than if you cleaned your whole house. If you take the time to
encourage a friend, you’ve gotten more done than if you sewed yourself an
entirely new wardrobe. If you stop for a minute to explain a tract to an
unbeliever you met in the grocery store, you’ve gotten more done than if you
took a course in chemistry.
God wants us to be in a race – but it is a race to see how
much of His work we can do. We absolutely cannot waste our time. The
faster we can do our work, the more free time we have to serve the Lord! How can
we do more in less time?
Yesterday The King’s Daughter magazine had a
committee meeting in order to answer this question. It occurred around the lunch
table with a chorus of banging spoons as background music J.
Here are eleven ways we came up with…
#1: Pray. Be attentive to God’s priorities for your
life, and ask Him to bless your efforts.
#2: Set goals. What do you want to have accomplished in
five, ten, or twenty years from now? Who do you want to be? What do you want to
be like? What kind of relationship do you want to have with the Lord? What do
you want to be doing for others?
This is the most important step of all, so don’t scrawl
down the answer right away. If you learn how to do more in less time but have no
long-range goals, you’ll be going nowhere fast. If you have the wrong goals,
you’ll be going the wrong way fast!
So seek the Lord on His purpose for your life, and ask the
direction of your parents. Don’t be afraid if you don’t know all the steps
on how to get from where you are now to where you want to be in twenty years. If
we knew all the steps, we’d miss out on so many faith-building experiences!
Get the vision of where you’re headed, and God will give you each step at a
time as you need it.
So find out where you’re really going in life, what you’re
moving toward, what you’re really doing and why. Next make short-term
goals for the next month, season, or year. This gives you clear direction on how
you can start fulfilling your life purpose right now, today!
Take your time on this step. One of the tragedies of our
culture today is that so many young people — even Christian young people —
don’t know where they’re going in life. We live for today and have as much
fun as we can. Sisters, we need to be going somewhere, doing that for which the
Lord has put us here on earth! We need to have goals and visions. “Where
there is no vision, the people perish:” – Proverbs 29:18a.
#3: Prioritize. Look at the list you’ve made of things
God and your parents want you to do, and decide the order of importance. This
helps you keep the right focus.
#4: Weed out time-wasters. Now that you know where you’re
headed, time for the hard part J!
What are you doing right now that is not helping you reach God’s goals
for your life?
Definitely weed out any bad things you may be doing, but you
also need to weed out good things. In order to use your time effectively, you
don’t have time for good things – you only have time for the best things!
What are a few common time-wasters among Christian young women?
Reading books. Everything you read should have a
purpose: either educational value (great literature) or spiritual value
(biographies, devotionals, wholesome stories, etc.). Even if you’re reading
good books, it can be a waste of time to spend hours going through series after
series of fun books. Always ask yourself, “how does this benefit my life?”
If it doesn’t, quit.
Email, IM, and the Internet. I don’t think there’s
anything wrong with these as long as you use them well and carefully avoid, with
your parents' guidance, all the evil that is out there. But what is
the benefit of spending lots of time sending group emails, forwarding all kinds
of silly things, surfing the net, frequenting chat rooms, etc.? There may be a
place for some of this, but how much time should be spent on it? It’s possible
to waste a lot of valuable time on this kind of thing.
Clothes. I was driving down Main Street the other day
and saw a big sign outside a clothing store: “Red Dot Sale – 50% Off”. Hmm,
I thought, I should see what they have sometime. Immediately I felt the
Holy Spirit telling me, “Lisa, do you need clothes right now?” No.
“Why waste your time then?” Shopping can waste so much time! I also have a
habit of looking through endless clothing catalogs when I certainly can’t
afford anything some of them have to offer J.
Finally, even spending time sewing clothes you don’t need can be a
waste of time. Don’t spend any more money, time, and attention on clothes than
you have to!
Sports. These can be good exercise, a lot of fun, and
a way to build relationships. But make sure you’re not giving it too much
emphasis. This is where priorities come in. How big a priority is sports in your
life? Don’t give it as much time as something else that is more important.
Excess knowledge. You could spend your entire life
holed up in a closet studying without learning the same thing twice. You
certainly wouldn’t make much of a difference for the Lord, though! Just learn
what you need to, to best fulfill your life purpose! Let your focus be on
wisdom, not knowledge. “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”
– 1 Corinthians 8:1b.
Remember in all of these the question is: does this help me
accomplish God’s purpose for my life? If not, why do it? You may suddenly find
you have lots more time to reach the goals you set in number one. That’s
wonderful!
#5: Make daily planners. Our prayer as we go through each
day should be “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” – Psalm 119:133. How can we
accomplish the most in a day? By making and following a daily plan, asking God
to order our steps in His Word.
Maybe some of you are shuddering at the idea of lists. Don’t
– I’m not suggesting you organize your life down to the minute! But it has
helped me so much to simply write one list of what I need to do in one
day. As I do my devotions in the morning, I can seek the Lord’s direction,
commit my day to Him, and make a list while my mind is clear, of what I would
like to accomplish that day. I usually put a Scripture verse on the top of the
list to keep me focused.
Then the rest of the day I just follow the list! The specific
order usually isn’t important, and I very seldom get everything done. But one
by one I cross things off and it’s nice to know I’m going somewhere.
#6: Utilize your best hours. Start waking up earlier and
getting to bed earlier! Think about it: how much do you usually accomplish after
6:00 in the evening? Not much. Evening is kind of a restful, “lie around until
you drift off to bed” time. So why not spend it sleeping so you can wake up
earlier and use the morning hours to get your work done? People are usually most
effective during the hours before noon. I can accomplish a lot more from six to
seven in the morning than I do from ten to eleven at night. So why not move your
sleeping schedule up an hour?
Plan your day to utilize the times you are most effective.
What time of day do you work the hardest, think the best, and so on? Plan your
activities accordingly.
#7: Rest well. You will accomplish more if you rest well
than you will by trying to push yourself past your limits and eventually
crashing. I know – I’ve tried it J!
God designed us to accomplish the most when we work hard six days a week and
rest one day a week. Set aside one day a week to refresh yourself spiritually,
emotionally, and physically. It’s a great time to catch up on sleep, “fill
up” spiritually, enjoy your family, and reevaluate the direction your life is
taking.
It’s also important to try your best to get eight hours of
sleep each night. You’ll accomplish more working hard sixteen hours a day than
you will dragging yourself around twenty hours a day!
#8: Do the next thing. I’m sure you’ve said to
yourself – and have heard other people say – “I am so overwhelmed! I have
so much to do!” What are they usually doing when they say that? Nothing. Just
sitting around feeling overwhelmed!
God gave us a wonderful key to effectiveness in the Sermon on
the Mount: living one day at a time (see Matthew 6:34). Do the next
thing! You could sit down right now
and think about all you need to do before Christmas. Or you could just do the
next thing. When you give all your energy to the here and now, and trust that
God will show you the next step when it’s time, you can get so much done!
It’s literally amazing how it works. Doing one thing at a
time, you can accomplish a lot. So look at your daily planner, find out what’s
next, and go for it!
#9: Use that energy! Don’t just do the next
thing, do it with gusto! “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men;” – Colossians 3:23. Now that you know for sure
you’re in God’s will, following the vision He’s given you, doing what He
assigns you step by step, do it with all of your heart! Don’t stand
there half-heartedly washing the dishes while you daydream. See how well and how
fast you can do it.
A few tips: Start with the job you hate the most. Don’t
spend all day dreading the job of cleaning out the garbage cans or whatever –
do it first, and then the rest of the day will seem like a breeze!
Try to get everything on your daily planner done. If
you’ve planned right, that won’t happen, but give it your best effort.
Give yourself rewards. “If I can get this, this, this,
this, and this done by 5:00 p.m., then I can do that.” A reward can be a
little time off or doing something you enjoy. This will give you motivation!
#10: Do two things at once. One morning I had to drive
half an hour to get my allergy shots, spend over half an hour there (most of the
time waiting), and then drive half an hour back. Almost two hours taken out of
my day, right? Wrong! I listened to my Spanish tapes on the way there and back.
While I waited at my doctor’s, I did most of my day’s Bible reading and
studied my Spanish textbook. I felt so great crossing these activities off my
daily planner when I got back home!
You can get twice as much out of your day by doing two things
at once. I recently discovered I can memorize Scripture at the same time as I
iron. I also write most of my letters while I baby-sit. We can build
relationships while we do almost anything. If you want to have fun with someone,
don’t get out a board game – go do a project together!
#11: Utilize the concept of “assembly line”. I
recently discovered how much faster sewing goes when you sew two or even three
things (from the same pattern) at a time. It goes almost as fast as just sewing
one! First you do three cut-outs, then three linings, then three sets of side
seams, etc.
This concept can also be applied to things like gardening
(once you’re outside dirty, might as well do it all!), cooking (bulk cooking
saves so much time), shopping (try running all your errands in the same
shopping trip), and
a multitude of other things.
#12: Use every minute. The way to use every minute of
your day is to design things you can do in your extra minutes. These add up
alarmingly fast. If you have ten spare minutes total each day, you have sixty
spare hours each year (which is two and half days!). How are you going to
use it? Say you have three extra minutes before you leave for a doctor’s
appointment. What do you do? Drum your fingers on the kitchen counter J?
Here are things I like to do in extra minutes: practice the
piano (think how much you could learn in sixty hours! J),
write quick emails, catch up on current events, review a little Spanish, talk
with family members, and help someone who needs it. May we be able to say of our
minutes what Jesus said of His disciples: “Of them which thou gavest me
have I lost none.” – John 18:9b.
You see sisters, life is a race. “…let us lay
aside every weight… and let us run with patience the race that is set before
us,” – Hebrews 12:1. Why don’t we pick up the speed a little? ©
Sharing the Reason for Christmas
The Christmas season is a wonderful time to share the
Gospel
with others! People who are closed to religion for the remainder of the year
tend to be more open during the holidays as you share the reason behind the
celebration. The very nature of Christmas encourages people to focus on
important life relationships and the existence of God.
How can we best take advantage of opportunities to share the
Gospel this Christmas? Here are a few ideas:
1. In early December, bake a variety of gourmet Christmas
cookies and candies. Make attractive trays to take to neighbors and unsaved
friends. Tie a bow with a Christmas tract
around each tray and deliver them on a weekend before Christmas when people
will most likely be home. You can sing a Christian Christmas carol, invite
them to your church, or simply get to know your neighbors better.
2. Pass out candy cane tracts. These are especially effective
with children! The candy cane can represent Jesus’ death. The white
represents Jesus’ purity, and the red shows how He shed His blood for our
sins. The small stripes of red on some candy canes represent Jesus’
scourging. The candy cane’s shape is both a capital J and a shepherd’s
staff. You can order candy cane tracts from The Tract
League, Grand Rapids, MI 49544-1390. Pass them out with a candy cane in each
tract.
3. A church Christmas play is a wonderful way to reach your
community! Our church’s play attracts people year after year because of our
true-to-life costumes, live animals, quality performance, interesting script,
and pretty music. At the end of the play someone gives the message of
salvation, and afterwards the actors pass out Bibles as they socialize with
the people. Be active in the Christmas ministries your church is organizing,
and share ideas with the people in your church. You never know what you may be
able to start!
- Lisa Bode
Dramatization of the Christmas story is probably one of the
most effective ways to focus on Christ at Christmastime. My family memorizes the
Christmas story in Scripture by reading the passages out loud to everyone. Then
we add motions and choose who will act which part. We review it every day to
keep it memorized.
We have done several different things with our Christmas
drama. Last year we invited the neighborhood kids over for a “Christmas Club”
each day after school. During this time we taught them motions for our play.
When the time came for the neighborhood Christmas party, our actors were ready.
Everyone was enthusiastic and the play went great. We’ve been asked to do it
again this year!
We have also done this dramatization at a nursing home, for
friends and relatives, and even for a home school group. Not only is it a
blessing for those who hear it, but it also brings people’s focus off all the
material things of Christmas, back to the real reason of Christmas: to honor
Christ and bring glory to Him.
- Heather Terrall
My family sings Christmas carols for people in nursing homes,
and afterwards we go around and talk to them. I think they feel a little less
lonely after that. Also, we carol our neighborhood and then go back home for hot
cider. It is a lot of fun! We also sing for church. Christmas is a great time to
develop family harmony!
- Abigail VanderHamm
As a ministry during Christmastime, my family puts on a play,
drama, or musical for nearby nursing homes. They simply love it, even in our
imperfections. If you are thinking, “A play? How do I start?” – well, it
really isn’t that hard. Sure it is work, but the enjoyment that is reflected
in the faces of elderly people is definitely worth it.
You can just give the simple Christmas story. But last year
we used a drama by Woodrow Kroll and Keith Gharmley called “The Twelve Voices
of Christmas”. We didn’t do all twelve since it’s quite lengthy, but by
using just the main characters the message gets across quite well. (You can get
a copy of this drama from Back to the Bible, Box 82808, Lincoln, NE 68501.)
Be sure when you’re acting to act real and natural, saying
your lines with feeling and not like a recitation. Use gestures and different
tones of voice to reflect happiness, sadness, excitement, etc.
If you really don’t like acting, just sing Christmas songs!
One year our family and another family put on a musical in a nearby town hall.
We sang songs, and a narrator read the Christmas story and related Scripture
passages. After that our pastor gave a closing message and we had refreshments
of homemade cookies and punch.
Another idea: go caroling and leave a tract with the people
you carol to. The list is endless – be creative! Just use whatever you’re
good at to glorify God, and what better time to do it than Christmas?
- Sarah Bayer ©
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