ADVANCE: A Revival DevotionalSample

Advance In Boldness

“Boldness doesn’t come from just receiving the promises of God; it comes from choosing to walk into that promise” – Lee Burns, Hillsong College

There is a story that was birthed during the late 1930s that captured the hearts of listeners all around the globe. A little girl from Kansas gets sucked into a tornado and ends up in a magical land full of color and wonder. She ends up meeting some friends along the way. One of whom was a scarecrow without a brain, another was a tin man who didn’t have a heart, and finally, there was a lion who lacked courage.

There probably aren’t many people who can relate to not having a heart or a brain, but everyone struggles at times with lacking courage. There are moments in life where the challenge in front of us seems too big to overcome, so we naturally decide to shrink back instead of stepping into boldness. We see this in the Bible as well.

In Numbers 13, the Israelites are on the verge of entering the land that God had promised them. When they go to scout the land, the Israelites see an enemy that is bigger, more fortified, and more powerful than they are. They end up bringing back a report that is rooted in cowardice.

In Numbers 13:33 (NLT), they say of themselves, “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

The problem with the Israelites was this: They tried to muster up a feeling of boldness based on the confidence they had in their own abilities instead of having confidence rooted in the God who sent them. The level of courage that Caleb and Joshua exemplify is a prime example of what it means to have Godly boldness.

The truth of boldness is that it’s not a feeling. Boldness is choosing to advance despite how you feel.

God has abundant promise waiting for you, but you must trust in Him and choose to act in boldness, regardless of what your feelings tell you.

Action Questions:

Is there an area of your life where you are shrinking back from the promises God has for your life?

What is one bold step you can take this week to advance forward into God’s promise?

Prayer: “Holy Spirit, give me boldness. Stir me up to make bold decisions in my day to day life. Lord, Help me to trust you in the midst of each challenge and to have confidence in you and you alone. Amen.”