Audacity of Faith

Into the massive ornate Jewish temple, only the second of its kind, rushed a man on a mission. He wasn’t a priest or a prophet just a “good, God-fearing man…waiting for Israel to be saved”¹

But he had a secret he probably told no one else; if he had they would have thought him presumptuous. He really believed God had told him he would see the Christ before he died. The faithful had been waiting for generations for the Christ but this man had the audacity to believe God had spoken to him.

Something inside Simeon that day said, “Go to the temple now”, he probably didn’t know why. He obeyed and there at that moment were Jesus’ parents offering two doves and two pigeons, a poor family’s redemption for their son.²

The Holy Spirit speaks audacious things to people who love God. Those things can be generic to all Christ's followers, but sometimes they are very specific - for a child, a situation, a calling.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” – Jesus (John 16:13)

Have the audacity of faith to believe the Holy Spirit and his word.

- fritz

<sup>1 - Luke 2:25 Good News Bible
2 - Leviticus 12:6-8

Related Post: "God Speaks, We can Hear", October 7, 2010</sup>

Intended for Joy

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." - Psalm 89:15-16

God's people are intended to for joy. There are times of distress and sorrow but the majority of our daily experience should be upbeat. If that's not an accurate description of our experience something needs to change.

Jesus told his disciples to pray in his name, "that your joy may be full"¹, and it wasn't just intended for his original crew, the apostle John tells ordinary believers,

"these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." - 1st John 1:4

Don't blunt the impact by "spiritualizing" it or defining "joy" differently; do an honest assessment - do these verses describe you? I discovered they can.

Receiving anything from God, including joy, begins by: 1)Recognizing the need; 2) Choosing to believe what God offers is really available; 3) Asking to receive.

We were intended for joy.

- fritz

^{1 - John 16:24}