“A crown means nothing unless the head wearing it is filled with wisdom and good judgment.” ~ It’s Good to Be Queen
Chapter One: It’s Good to Be Bold
Here we go! If you have a copy of It’s Good to Be Queen, you’re ready to rock. If you need to order one, it’s easily managed at ItsGoodtoBeQueen.me. If that’s not your plan, you’ll find lots here to encourage you.
Love this week’s bold orange? Check out our Shebalicious board on Pinterest! And if you want to spend a few minutes watching me teach the first chapter, pop over to my free video on Vimeo.
Now, let’s start with a snapshot of our queen:
- Her story is found in 1 Kings 10:1-13.
- She lived in the tenth century B.C.
- Her country was likely in southwest Arabia.
- Her palace was in the inland city of Ma’rib.
- She prized wisdom above all things.
- She was a worshiper of many gods.
- She was destined to meet the one true God (best part!).
You’re going to love this woman’s story.
Last week I offered snippets of wisdom from the queen of Sheba and asked which one spoke to you. “Be bold and take frequent leaps of faith” was high on your list, coming in at #3. Wonderful, because God’s kingdom needs bold women to do His bold work.
Tamie shared, “Many times I hesitate before stepping out. I want to be bold enough to move the first time I sense His call.” She’s not the only one. Some of us hear that call a dozen times before we move, then wonder, “What was I waiting for?”
Even so, God is patient with us. He’s not surprised at our hesitancy or frustrated by delays. The moment we’re ready, He fills us with His boldness through the Holy Spirit.
It’s not you being bold for God. It’s God being bold for you.
We definitely see His boldness at work three thousand years ago, calling Sheba to His side.
When the queen of Sheba
heard about the fame of Solomon
and his relationship to the Lord,
she came to test Solomon
with hard questions. 1 Kings 10:1
You probably noticed the word bold isn’t in this verse…but it’s clear Sheba’s actions fit the bill. Having learned about Solomon’s wisdom, Sheba traveled fifteen hundred miles across the Arabian Desert to test him, thinking she might best him with her difficult riddles.
Now, look at the middle line of the verse: “his relationship to the Lord.” That’s what put Sheba on a camel bound for Jerusalem. She realized if Solomon was the wisest man on earth, then his God must be even more wise, more powerful. No wonder she wanted to see His magnificence for herself.
The hardest part is waiting for her to get there. Come on, chapter two!
If you’ve already answered the questions in the Study Guide, I am beyond proud of you. I’ll take a stab at one, then invite you to share what you’ve learned so far.
From the Study Guide
What do you find appealing about Sheba’s boldness?
I love her sense of urgency. She heard. She went. We have no record of her dithering over the idea, weighing the pluses and minuses. She heard. She went.
The times I’ve made a bold move for a righteous reason, it was always God’s idea. Go. Now. But, the times I’ve made a bold move for a selfish reason, I usually talked myself into it, then plowed forward on my own steam. Disaster.
If being bold comes naturally to you, how might you use it for advancing God’s kingdom?
Since boldness comes a little too naturally to me, God has been tempering my take-charge approach and urging me to listen before I speak, to consider other people’s opinions before I offer mine, and to fearlessly follow His lead, without looking over my shoulder to see who else is coming.
The apostle Paul was definitely bold, yet he urged God’s people to speak the truth in love. Boldness should look like affection, not aggression. Like love, in action.
Heavenly Father, I have so much to learn about true boldness. The kind that’s not of the flesh, but of the Spirit; not my will, but Your will. When I need to be bold, lead the way. When I need to be still, hold me in place. Let my words be Your Word, spoken in love.
Now, it’s your turn: If being bold is a stretch for you, why is it important to make the effort? Please share your thoughts below. Can’t wait for next week when Sheba arrives in Jerusalem!
Your grateful sister, Liz
@LizCurtisHiggs
People have told me that I’m very outspoken. I’m not sure if it’s the same as being bold. But I think it’s a version of it. I have been bold sometimes speaking the gospel. At other times I have shrunk back. I think boldness is important because without it, you can’t really appropriate God’s purposes and plans for your life. Let me practice what I’m preaching today as I go out for a second teaching position interview. Prays are welcome! God give me boldness today! Gina
Go with God’s power as you interview. Know His unending love and grace and be certain the outcome is what is best for you according to His will.
praying for the Job for you.
Having just heard that my grandson may have lymphoma, I needed this encouragement to stay bold in my faith and in prayer . Please pray for him, for the family and yes, for me as I lend my prayers to them.
Helen, my heart goes out to you. And my prayers go up to our Father who is the Great Physician. May He heal your gson quickly. Strength to you also.
Helen, Praying for healing and peace for all the family, So that they know the Lord has all of you.
I have always been timid, hanging back, listening and watching but in my later years, (I am soon to be 66), I am learning to be bold. It isn’t easy for me because I am always afraid I will say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing, but I realize how important it is to be bold for God. I am a work in progress, as we all are, and I am fully relying on God. I know if I approach any situation by going to Him first, He will direct my paths. It is still difficult many, many times, but pray with me that I will continue to grow, continue to study His Word and continue to work on being bold for God.
I too am learning to be bold. Hesitation comes, for fear of saying the wrong things.. As I am reading Chapter 1 and looking up verses I came across the following : the gospel should be spoken openly, honestly and sincerely and in love to those we are speaking to. Hopefully I will keep this in mind when I open my mouth. Enjoying this book and loved the video as well. Thanks Liz
Good to live bold and be a rainbow for God!
Being bold naturally in some ways, I can ask the questions and confront the errors making sure to not let truth be stifled and making sure God’s word is not corrupted so that I or others can know it or at least contemplate it – think about it. In some ways and with some people I can be shy. Exercising boldness from the Holy Spirit and practicing it will make me more comfortable with doing so. With God’s help, I will get better and better. It is important in advancing God’s kingdom and sharing the good news. Acts 4 –“ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” When folks recognize that what you have is not of yourself – they know that you are with Jesus – He is acknowledged!
Thank you for this reminder my sister Liz. Being BOLD does not come naturally for me because I have a fear of rejection that I have spent my whole life talking to God about 😉 God is teaching me that fearing man/woman is an idol in my life and that his opinion is what matters most. I am a masterpiece in progress! Thank you for being Bold for God!
Your boldness for God inspires me, Liz. Thank you! I am not naturally bold, but God is teaching me that taking leaps of faith and stepping boldly out of the boat in trust are the only ways in my faith is going to grow!
I love that her boldness was ultimately in search of God. Do I boldly seek God or just sort of limp along and only search for Him when I need a problem fixed? God says we will find Him when we seek Him with all our hearts. I am challenged to go full throttle toward knowing God.
And thank you for saying boldness should look like affection not aggression. Perfectly stated!
I marked this quote in Chapter 1: “The key to boldness isn’t merely believing God is with us or trusting God is with us; it’s KNOWING God is with us. Not self-confidence, but God-confidence. Not ‘I have this,’ but ‘God has this.'” I can’t get my brain to form a definition of Boldness, at least not in my words. But I believe that Paul said it all: “forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:11-14. I worry that my past, those times I relied on me and not Him, will raise their ugly head in me again. I am a bold person (except one-on-one witnessing) and I battle saying too much in the wrong spirit. I am LOVING this study. Thanks, Liz.
I am bold on my own and not always in a good way. The Lord is working on that in me. To slow down and ask Him what should I do or say. When I do that others will see Jesus on my boldness not me. Love the book Liz.
God is doing a work of boldness in my life, but I often find myself second-guessing the next step. Maybe I just need to proclaim His love and grace in whatever way is before me and not concern myself with looking for that next open door. Shout it from the valley if that’s where I’m at and not wait until I make it to the mountaintop.
Reminds me of 2 Timothy 7. God has given us a spirit of power & love, not timidity. The challenge is to rely on Him & His strength & guidance & not get in His way. Still is hard at times to boldly speak His truth in love – that fear factor of rejection or ridicule nags.
Liz, I’m with you. I tend to be more of the “bolder” stuff and it often gets me into trouble. I look around and wonder how did I get in this place. As I’ve grown older, I have tried to mellow that tendency with more quietness, gentleness, submission, loving, caring….to lean on the LORD more and learn to listen, to be still, to wait. However, there is a time for boldness. Perhaps, wisdom is the key. I’m looking forward to hearing more about how they work together as we journey with Sheba.
After reading a harrowing update about the refugees from ISIS-infested countries, I’m struck by the fact that Sheba was Arabian. I’ve been sticking my neck out at my web site, saying that if certain rich and famous people get these Middle Eastern and North African Christian refugees into the U.S. and tested/treated for contagious diseases, they can stay with me. Rotten deal for them but better than being packed into a meat truck. Pray that others can offer them better places to stay!
In agreement with Linda’s comment above, I find that being bold is a stretch for me; however, it is important, and I was challenged by the quote on page 15 of the book, “He forgives our past, He empowers our present, and He holds our future in His mighty hands. ‘Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.'” There appears to be a very great task ahead of us both in knowing Him and showcasing Him to our world. As Peter and John’s boldness was a witness to their world, may I have a boldness to be a witness to mine.
Love this, Liz! And love the wisdom from your new book. I was one of the people who pre-ordered and thankful for this bible study. I need to be more bold for God. Especially when it comes to speaking, I’m a shy behind the scenes person (in some ways). I think I can be bold in writing at times, but I’ve been insecure about my voice and speaking in front of groups since I was little. May the Lord strengthen us to be bold for Him. God bless your ministry! I’m thankful for you.
I love it when God puts an idea in my head to further his word, but I am learning to slow down and make sure it’s the Lord not me. I want to move to fast,is that bold? I need to consider others and not take away some ones chance to serve.
I don’t think BOLD is always loud. It CAN be but not necessarily. Possibly that could help in redefining it? In a bathroom stall in a Jack in the Box a woman sobbed loudly. God was using me, brain injured and handicapped, to speak to these women of the Lord and to wrap my arms around them in love and prayer. Everywhere up and down our state. IKEA I felt moved to ask a woman we had chatted with the family how these aren’t like our family recipe–and later as we pass going in and out of the bathroom, I felt the urgent need to ask her if I could pray for her about something. She hesitated and then opened up. It was not a loud conversation but very sincere and urgent. We hugged. Teen boys. Boldness for Christ is only possible if I’m living in close touch with the Lord by reading and meditating on His word. I can be BOLD when that still small voice urges me so I must have ears to hear. BOLD for Christ cannot be forced. If I do that I fumble and fail even though my message may be a good thing. BOLD is not thinking of consequences of speaking out for Christ. There is no thought of fear nor self. It feels natural. I am brain damaged. Yet God uses me. It takes much effort to write this. But BOLD is not hindered by nor —-by just one personality type. ( cannot think of word). Moses? Stuttering was afraid yet he certainly became BOLD for God when he saw that gold calf!! Gideon was so afraid but God gave him BOLD actions. That resulted in defeat of the enemy. BOLD is all of us. Kind of like that old children’s song Dare to be a Daniel–Dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known!
Being Bold is a stretch for me but I am learning! The more I grow in my faith and dig in God’s word and His work, I see that being bold does not always have to be with words. How I live my life can reflect boldness as well. Wednesday night I had a chance to live out and speak boldness, knowing that even with God’s help it could be rejected or embraced. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had placed this on my heart and I had to take that step of boldness to accomplish not my plan but His. A family had a great need, I had the resource to help meet that need. I knew this family and knew of their resistance to outside help. To offer help to them may or may not go over well depending on my choice of words. God blessed my step of boldness in faith through the words He gave me and in the actions of living a bold life through Him. We ended up having a prayer meeting right there on the sidewalk! It truly was a God Moment! I am not sure this would have happened without the encouragement and example of Queen Sheba brought to life through Liz Curtis Higgs. All I can say is Thank You Liz for being Bold through Him. His timing is always perfect!
Being bold has always been a stretch for me. I tend to build up walls around myself hoping I won’t fail or disappoint. For me it will be a journey of trusting the Lord more than ever before and seeking Him first and having that faith to step out. My prayer is to show that God confidence and love to everyone my life touches.♥
I decided to read some of the verses surrounding 2 Cor. 3:12, “since we have such a hope, we are very bold,” and verse 17 was fun to relate to being bold. “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Sheba had freedom to be bold because she was Queen. We have freedom to be bold because we are children of the King.
In thinking about Psalm 34:10, “those who seek the LORD lack no good thing”–along with Psalm 34:8, “taste and see that the LORD is good”– I was challenged to be bold in seeking God; that’s what Sheba was ultimately doing. I’m praying that if I can be bold in that area, then God can work through me to be affectionately–not aggressively–bold in other areas. I loved page 16, “True boldness is God at work in us and often follows a long season of preparation.”
Laura,
When I reread the verse from 2 Cor. something highlighted for me. Nothing incredibly profound, and yet…because we have this hope (because we are anchored in this truth, in this Jesus, in this redeemed progression of life) we can be bold. When a ship is anchored in the sea, held down in the water by the heavy metal weight, the sailors are far less timid about walking around on deck.
Being bold is a stretch for me. Yet I feel that it is important to be bold sometimes if we are going to accomplish what God wants us to do.
Being bold USED to be a stretch for me, because just a few years ago I was nearly nonfunctional socially! But God healed me and the holy boldness was amazing! However, at times I’m still not bold like I should be. Sometimes I’m bold when I make myself (using my own steam, like you said Liz, which gets me in trouble too). Yet at other times, those spiritual times, I absolutely know that it’s the Lord. When God gives us that holy boldness, it might seem intimidating to step out, even causing us fear. But if we “do it afraid” that doesn’t mean we’re stepping out in our own effort. It just means we’re trusting the Lord to lead us, which He promised that He would. But what it means to me to be bold is to step out and find out. To encourage those who are in the place I once was. Because when we do that, we’re walking in our calling and ministering to those who need to be uplifted. I think Sheba wanted to know about Solomon’s wisdom, so she went boldly out of “need to know.” I find that encouraging. When we want to know, we can go boldly to God and He will enlighten us! To me, that’s most exciting! 😀
Love this book! LOVE the Pinterest board!! Would love to be able to add one of the beautiful pics from your blog to my phone as wallpaper! Is there a way you can create something we could use each week to remind us of the week’s theme? I’ve downloaded the beautiful BOLD orange flower, but it’s oversized for phone wallpaper. Do you have anyone who could put together something like that for us?
I’m not a bold person by nature, but I find that the Bold Leaders always need support people, and that’s a great place for the quiet behind-the-scenes women to move and work. =)
Boldness. The very word makes me cringe, for it has not always been used as a compliment in my case. I have a bad habit of flapping my jaws before putting my brain in gear or listening! Yet it also pulls at my heart like a magnet. I picture a strong woman who knows her way and is confident. This is not who I see when I look in the mirror. But with God’s help, I have learned to listen first before leaping into decisions, and that has made a huge difference.
Boldness to me is tricky. Sometimes I feel if I am bold I’m being bossy. This is hard for me as I am a people pleaser. Which means if I’m too bold I could hurt someone’s feelings. I’ve been praying that God will give me the right words to be bold! May you all have a blessed day?
Boldness , for an introvert, is seeming to call attention to oneself. But a time is coming when our faith will be tested. Is Jesus my Lord or is he just a man? If I believe what I say I believe, being bold is not of myself. But being afraid and introverted is just another face of pride. No place for it in the Kingdom of God. I must follow my Lord and not my natural tendencies. If I am not following him, I am not his disciple and he is not my Lord. My actions speak my belief.
I read your post and it felt like God was speaking to me directly. BE BOLD for me. I am not ashamed to say that this past year struggling with depression, PTSD and the whys of my past and present trials God choose to humble me. Feeling all alone in this as a believer in Jesus Christ, knowing the devil was attacking. I got involved in Celebrate Recovery. Gave my testimony after my 12 steps in June 2015. This time of year in the Lakes region of NH we have Old Home Days. Yesterday was the third event I walked around with a sign around my neck saying ” Ask me “Jan” about Celebrate Recovery. Responses were amazing. I am by Gods grace trying to bring this ministry here to the Plymouth area. Pray for me and the Pastors here as we collectively seek Gods direction in this cause.
Being bold is a scary thing for me at this time as Im just discussing my voice. As I’m one when I do speak up people don’t understand what I saying or don’t want to hear truth.
This is an area of great struggle for me, as I have the gift of discernment so I know what is going on and at times just want to go shake people and wake them up instead I keep it to myself. As I’m not sure about speaking up.
Sometimes I’m bold, and sometimes I’m not. It’s according to the circumstances. I often jump ahead of God and I’m trying to learn to wait on Him and His leading. And then I worry that I’m being too timid and missing His will again. Is there a balance? I’m positive there is.
I’m not certain of the history, but I think the fact that she is a woman it is a bold move to search out what Solomon had, and not letting society dictate her actions…even being queen. I also admire that she had a hunger that needed to be sought after …a bold hunger that was protected and honored because it was for God.
I never opened a bible until about 6-7 yrs ago when my life was going down hill and illnesses started happening. In March of 2010 I was saved and took Jesus as my savior. My entire life has changed since then. My father was an alcoholic and I was physically and mentally abused along with my family. But God has taught me to forgive and grow in Gods word. I live my life for the Lord now and always will. I am diagnosed with asthma, hypertension, bi polar, osteoarthritis ,osteoporosis ,degenerative disk disease,fibromyalgia, to name a few, but you will never c me without a smile or blaming Him for anything. I am very blessed I could still walk,talk and move around. I am grateful for what he has blessed me with. I am involved in a small group on Tuesdays for mostly abused,depressed. I feel so honored to help with my research papers. As long as you own up that you will never be perfect. But you could confess and truly pray for his. Forgiveness. Ty Liz for all you say, God bless you.
If you aren’t bold, you’ll miss a lot of opportunities God has for you.