2nd BOLD Christian Outreach Promise from Psalm 16

My Advisor is the LORD

Psalm 16:5-8 (God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, www.godsword.org)

⁵ The LORD is my inheritance and my cup[of salvation]. You [The LORD] are the one who determines my destiny. 
⁶ Your boundary lines mark out pleasant places for me. Indeed, my inheritance is something beautiful. 
⁷ I will praise the LORD, who advises me. My conscience warns me at night. 
⁸ I always keep the LORD in front of me. When [HE] is by my side, I cannot be moved.

When sharing our faith with others we can be confident that the LORD will give us the words to speak. We can have the assurance of salvation. We can reflect that faith in our actions toward others. And we can proclaim the assurance of salvation in our conversations as we are introducing others to Christ. It is a confidence that we can share in word and in deed because we have it in us.

One day several months ago I was engaged in a difficult mediation between two mothers who were standing up for their children. Every instinct of each parent was defensive and protective. Voices raised, tempers flared, and I honestly didn't know what would happen next. But the LORD was by our side. He was right there in the midst of this conflict, holding these women in place. The LORD gave words of wisdom and courage to my colleague as she helped the women sort through their anger and pain. Eventually they cooled down and started the process of listening to each other's concerns. The fear, resentment, and anger that the women had expressed were replaced with admissions of helplessness and a desire to understand the other person's position.

God was drawing one of the women into a place where she could be witnessed to by our staff and potentially brought into HIS kingdom. The other woman, (a staff member), was being tested and stretched in her ability to live out her faith in the midst of facing personal accusations and attacks. The conflict cut deep into some areas of her life that she needs to work on in the future. GOD allowed the conflict to cut through the dribble into an area where neither woman wanted to go, but the result became the beginning of the process of healing and relationship building. I continue to pray it will lead to more opportunities for Christ's love to be shown and saving faith to be received.

“I will praise the LORD, who advises me. My conscience warns me at night.”

Meeting people where they are at is not an easy task. It is sometimes messy and painful. But God walks through it with us. He has promised to be by our side while we share our faith with others. He advises us and gives us the right words at the right time. With God by our side we can be BOLD in sharing our faith with others (even when it hurts and makes us sick inside with fear of rejection) because HE is always with us. HE is our inheritance. If we live for HIM it is all gain, if we die because of HIM, we will be with HIM forever. We have nothing to lose. This truly is a BOLD outreach promise.