Psalm 119:45,46
That a man is bold and fearless before other men does not necessarily mean that he has the boldness of faith. Boldly Korah, Dathan, and Abiram challenged Moses and Aaron. And Gehazi lied boldly before his master, Elisha. But God punished them for works of unbelief.
The boldness of faith is in us when God puts the truth of His word in our mouths. Then as the psalmist writes, after having written that he wanted God's word in his mouth, "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts. I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed" ( Psalm 119:45,46 ).
Walking at liberty means that his flesh does not hold him back in fear of ridicule and mockery. But more than that, the child of God blest with the boldness or faith, because he has a firm grip on God's word and can quote it freely, will be bold to witness to God's glory. As we sing (PRC Psalter):
And I will walk at liberty
Because Thy truth I seek;
Thy truth before the kings of earth
With boldness I will speak.
We do well to note that one must be well versed in the Scriptures. We must have something to say. And when we have a firm grip on God's word and see Him as our King, we will have no fear of earthly kings. They have power to imprison and kill, but the truth assures us that all is well. No worldly power can keep us from entering the kingdom of heaven with all its blessedness.
How necessary then that we every day get a firmer grip on Gods word. How important is it not that we teach our children to commit to memory specific passages of Holy Writ, and that we also commit them to memory.
Search the Scriptures. Look closely and daily at Christ our King of kings. See Him in His glory and with the salvation He has prepared for us, and you have every reason not to be ashamed but to be bold before all men, no matter what political and physical power they have.
Read: Matthew 10:16-33
Psalter versification: #326:3
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter #409
Why not sing along??
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
1 Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
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Quote for Reflection:
William Hendrikson on Colossians 1:20 : "Harmony, accordingly, has been restored. Peace was made. Through Christ and his cross the universe is brought back or restored to its proper relationship to God in the sense that as a just reward for his obedience Christ was exalted to the Father’s right hand, from which position of authority and power He rules the entire universe in the interest of the church and to the glory of God."
Additional Info
- Date: 18-June
Heys, John A.
Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.