Day 9

Step Out Boldly Adapted from Psalm 18:28-50. I praise You, Lord, because You light my lamp and illuminate my darkness. Your way is blameless and Your word is tried. When I take refuge in You, You are my shield. You gird me in strength, and keep me from sin. You make my feet like hind’s feet and set me on high places. You enlarge my steps under me so my feet don’t slip. You train my hands for battle. You give me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand upholds me. Your tenderness makes me great. You gird me for battle and deliver me from contentious people. You are my rock and my salvation! I sing praises to Your name for Your deliverance and Your loving kindness forever. Amen.

What does it mean to be bold? As a child I recall being called bold—but it was not always term of praise. Bold is one of those words that can carry a bit of a tinge—it can mean brave or it can mean impudent or presumptuous. Either way, a bold act stands out and involves risk. To be a follower of Jesus in a world that often sees religion as a weakness requires “boldness.” But it should not be “human boldness.” It should not be impudent or presumptuous. Our ability to be bold, brave or courageous comes not from us, but from the grace of God. God empowers us to treat each other as God treats us. I especially like the sentence: “Your tenderness makes me great.” God plants God’s tenderness in us, and tenderness strengthens the way we respond to each other. The image of God in us meets the image of God in the other when we risk being bold because we know how God wants us to respond and that God will stand with us as we do.