Thursday, May 19
Act with great boldness
Scripture: 2 Samuel 7-8, Psalm 59, 2 Corinthians 3
2 Corinthians 3:6 He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.
2 Corinthians 3:18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Observation
We are not competent in ourselves, but our competency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant of the Spirit. I feel over my head trying to do God’s will and work—and I should. But He enables me.
This hope—this confident expectation of God’s enablement—makes us bold. We are able to act with great boldness and confidence.
And we are being changed day by day to become more like Jesus. This is the work of the Spirit. As we look to Jesus we become more like Him.
Application
These simple but powerful truths are so encouraging!
The Spirit is at work in me, transforming me, changing me to be more like Jesus. My role: focus on Jesus, look at Him and I’ll become more and more like the one I look at. From glory to glory—from one degree of change to another—little by little, each day more like Jesus. Yesterday, I was sharing with a new friend who doesn’t know the Lord yet, and I encouraged him to read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and get to know Jesus. This passage takes it one step farther—we not only get to know Jesus, but become like Him. And that is the goal of discipleship: to become like our master.
The Spirit is at work in me, enabling me to do God’s work, to serve Him and others. I can’t do it on my own, but He is making me competent, empowering and enabling me. I don’t have all the gifts, but the Spirit does and can give them to me as needed. I don’t know what to do or say, but the Spirit does and can give them to me as needed.
And this hope, this confident expectation of the Spirit’s work, makes us act with great boldness. I can risk great things because of His work in my life. Act with great boldness!
Prayer: Lord, change me today and make me more like Jesus. Spirit fill me and empower me to do God’s will and work. And help me act with great boldness because You are with me and empowering me.