Don't be timid....be bold and let your light shine

Dear Little Light,
Is your light hiding under a bushel? Be bold, do not fear to speak the truth. For when you speak the good news about God, you will realize positive changes in your life.

Need some examples of bold people to boost your confidence and believing? Did you know that the Word of God moved tremendously in the first century? These men and women (Peter and the other apostles, Stephen, Philip, Paul, Silas, Barnabus, Aquilla and Priscilla, Apollos, Timotheus and others) were not afraid to speak about God and the good news. You can read about them in the Bible, in the book of Acts (link is to Blue Letter Bible online).  Also, today, I read an excellent article titled, Speaking the Word Boldly, on the the Way International™ website that I found helpful in building my confidence in speaking out.

One of the verses mentioned in the article above is I Peter 3:15. In this verse the words "in meekness and fear" are used. I, in the past, had misunderstood the meaning of meek in biblical usage. So, Little Light, I want you to understand the usage of this word and the usage of the word fear.  I will use the Webster's 1828 Dictionary because this version of Webster's dictionary includes many biblical words. 

Meek: http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,meek - usage #1:

•  1. Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; given to forbearance under injuries.

Yield:  in the same dictionary, when pertaining to God - usage #4:

• 4. To allow; to concede; to admit to be true; as, to yield the point in debate. We yield that there is a God.

The word fear in I Peter 3:15 is respect. 
Respect: - usage #6 as it pertains to the biblical usage: 

• 6. In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear. 

So my dear Little Light, I hope this helps you to see that you who respect God and have yielded and allowed yourself to be taught His truths have what you need to be confident and bold in speaking this truth to others! 

Go out and shine (your bushel has been lifted)!
  

What did I learn by sharing this with you?

1. There are several Strong's Lexicon (Strong's) numbers for meekness: 4236, 4240, 6037, 6038. The Strong's number 4240 was the meekness used for I Peter 3:15. 1) mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness
2. The word meek used in the Old Testatment does not have the same Strong's number as used in the New Testament. Old Testament has Strong's number: 6035 and The New Testament has Strong's Number: 4235, 4239 
3. There is a new website for the Webster's 1828 Dictionary here: http://www.1828-dictionary.com 
4. The Way International Ministry has some awesome articles here: http://theway.org/article.php?page=articles&lang=en  
5. I can please my father, God, by: I Thessalonians 2:4: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.