Are you unsure about some things in your life? Are you seeking Jesus for direction? Do you wonder if Jesus really answers with specific and personal messages?
As Christ-followers, we have a God who has a specific plan for us and who loves to guide us.
But are we seeking, waiting, and listening for His answers? When He does answer, are we brave to follow His direction? Follow Jesus and be brave!
The truth is life doesn’t stand still. Change happens. We know deep inside we need to change in some way or some direction too. But we may not know exactly what that change is. Sometimes this can be both confusing and scary.
For the past couple of months, I’ve had an inner stirring causing a holy disturbance. It’s a little unsettling. I’ve been seeking Jesus for direction on a number of things, and I’ve been waiting to hear something from Him.
Recently, as I was walking outside by myself, He spoke. I finally heard a clear, specific message from Jesus:
“Follow Me. Be Brave!”
How can four words be so powerfully directive, cause Holy Spirit goosebumps, and yet still not be completely instructive?
I’ve been following Jesus for fifty years, and I’ve been brave many times too. But this particular message from Jesus dug deep to my core. This command felt new and urgent.
Since then I’ve heard the Holy Spirit whisper multiple times, Follow Me. Be Brave! I’m still unsure what He means specifically. Nevertheless, I have responded, Yes Lord, I will!
Why did Jesus give me these two directives?
Am I not following Him in ways He wants me to? Am I not being brave? Or is this a new kind of brave, a new path He’s leading me on? Is He calling me to follow Him in ways that will require more of me, more courage?
I’m still seeking, waiting, and listening.
Jesus takes the lead.
Every day as I seek Jesus, I listen for further instructions. I’ve learned not to act right away. I wait for His confirmation. He will confirm a message. Often, He reveals through books I’m reading, friends I talk with, podcasts I listen to, and many others sources.
Currently, I’m reading a book called If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. Sparks ignited within me as I read these words:
“Express what goes through you.”
“Courage would expand and they would gradually write more.”
“Break through the shell of glibness to what is true underneath.”
God knew I needed some sparks. My writing fire has been dwindling lately. So He stirred my fire.
Then, last week a close friend of mine shared how she’s reading through 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs for the fourth time. The fourth time! When someone I know and admire reads a book that many times, I know it holds something important.
When I heard she’s reading this devotional for the fourth time more Holy Spirit sparks ignited in me. So now I’m reading 100 Days to Brave. Clearly, Jesus wants me to discover something new about being brave.
Why do we need to be brave? I know some reasons, but I don’t know them all or even specifically for myself just yet. Still, I know Jesus has a reason.
Downs wrote, “Why be brave? Because when we’re brave enough to share the God stories in our lives, it changes the people around us. It changes us to share them.”
I can’t be the only one Jesus wants to be brave. Being brave changes the people around us and being brave changes us too. Clearly, this is one thing Jesus wants us to change. Maybe we aren’t being as brave as we need to be.
Change is Coming!
Now, I’m always reading multiple books at the same time. Last July, I started reading The Vision, a 365-day devotional on the book of Isaiah. I only have sixty devotions left to read. Because I’m reading The Vision, I’m also reading the book of Isaiah in the Bible.
You know when you read a Bible verse and it jumps off the page? That happened to me when I read these words:
“Increase is coming, so enlarge your tent and add extensions to your dwelling. Hold nothing back! Make the tent ropes longer and the pegs stronger.”
Isaiah 54:2, TPT
When the LORD instructed Israel to enlarge the place of their tent, lengthen their cords, and strengthens their pegs, He was telling them He was going to fulfill one of His promises. He was going to increase their land. So, get prepared. Change is coming.
Jesus is about to change some things in our lives too. We need to get prepared. I think this change, whatever it is in your life and mine, is going to require bravery.
Follow Me. Be Brave!
Jesus provided specific and personal messages through His own words and the words of others.
Expand courage. Be Brave. Break through. Express yourself. Hold nothing back. Get prepared.
And then I heard something more from Jesus:
“Following Me is going to require all of these.”
We can be sure profound revelations and work are ahead when Jesus says, Follow Me. Be Brave! This is not a casual walk. This is a major mountain hike where the shell of glibness, that kind of easy superficiality isn’t going to cut it.
We need to be prepared. We need to expand our courage, break through whatever is holding us back, so that what’s true underneath comes out.
What changes do you need to make in your life to follow Jesus more courageously?
Hold nothing back when following Jesus. Be brave.
Love this post! So excited you are on the journey of following Him and being brave! Hugs 🤗 friend!
Well, Nikki, you should be excited since you’re the one who started it all. 🙂
Love you more than you realize, and I ordered another book that I’ll be digging into when it arrives. Change is coming! I need to be prepared.
Peace and joy, my friend!
Michelle 🙂
Michelle, I see this courage to express yourself increasingly in your writing and it’s more powerful because of it. Thank you for this message to be brave and to be willing to address whatever barriers we’ve allowed to keep us from engaging on an authentic and loving level. You’ve got me thinking!
Thank you, Pearl. I hope to be even braver in my writing. What’s that going to look like? Not sure yet, but probably digging deeper and letting what I find come out. One thing is certain, Jesus is leading. I just have to follow and then, of course, be brave.
I truly appreciate your friendship, Pearl.
Michelle 🙂