Boldness Inspires

Think about it . . . what does timidity inspire?

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Acts 3:4-5 – And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

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The Scriptures declare, “A soft answer turns away wrath.”  But it has never said, “A timid answer turns away wrath.”  There is a vast difference between the two.  The ability to be soft (tender or kind) never arises from a state of weakness, lack of knowledge, fear, or timidity.  The true ability to be soft (tender or kind) always arises from place of strength, knowledge of the truth, faith, and boldness.  And such boldness, if indeed it is truly boldness is filled with strength, knowledge and faith.

I have witnessed soft answers handle heavy situations when the answer arose from a position of boldness I have described.  I have likewise heard loud answers, hard answers, even harsh and clever answers that simply crumbled under any true pressure, because the loudness, hardness, harshness, or cleverness were only masks attempting to hide timidity. 

Look once again at our Text for Today.  Peter and James had passed this way before.  But on this occasion they stopped, and Peter spoke.  At the beginning, he spoke three words; “Look on us.”  That’s all.  But there was something about the manner in which those words were spoken that evoked the initial response from the lame man.  When Peter spoke, the lame man “gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.”  I am convinced that “something” was holy boldness.  Peter and John were strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Peter spoke from knowledge of having been with the Master.  Peter spoke in faith; a fully active obedience to the command of the Lord, being obedient to His Word by which faith had come.  Peter and John were two men filled with holy boldness.  I don’t believe Peter shouted or raised his voice.  I don’t believe Peter spoke brashly or harshly.  And the words Peter spoke certainly do not belie any cleverness to deceive.  But there WAS BOLDNESS. 

It was boldness that got the lame man’s attention.  It was boldness that held his attention.  And it was boldness that directed his attention towards something beyond the ordinary.  Money would have been okay, but it was not money he received.  A kind word may have been appreciated, but it was not a kind word he received.  What he received was the presence of Holy Ghost, a word from the Lord, the flowing of the power of God, and a miracle in his body.  But without the boldness that grabbed and held his attention, and that prepared him to act in faith when he heard the words to “rise up and walk,” would he have had his life so dramatically changed?  Boldness inspires, and we still need that same kind of boldness today.

Manna for Today – Acts 3:1-10; Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 29:8; Romans 10:17