The day was Thursday, December 5, 1955, a day that many of us have no idea what the significance is.  On that day a 42 year old woman decided she was going to stand for something instead of letting people push her around.  It was about 6pm when she began her travel homeward after a day of working at the department store, and ended up being one of the most famous, if not the most famous, days in the civil rights movement.  Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus.  Rosa was not tired that day.  She was not in violation of any law.  The “custom” was that the first few rows were to be designated for whites.  The bus driver, James Blake, noticed the bus was getting full and moved the sign for blacks further back, and behind Rosa.  At that time Rosa decided she had to stand up for herself and others.  By refusing to move she sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which led to the appointment of Martin Luther King, Jr. as the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association.

At the time no one knew the importance of Mrs. Parks decision to stand up for herself. Throughout the Bible we find stories of people standing up for God, and I would suggest none of them realized the importance of those acts.  I’m sure that with Moses standing up to Pharaoh (Exodus 5-12) or David slaying Goliath (1 Samuel 17) they never thought that these would  become Bible stories for children.  Or that Peter and the other apostles’ actions would be recorded in a book called Acts.  This was done to glorify God.  Maybe it’s time for us to make a stand in our personal lives for God.  Moses was laughed at, David was attacked, many others were beaten, but not one of them backed down from standing for God.  I challenge you this week to be prepared to make a stand for the cause of Christ in your own person life.