“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Moses addressed Israel in the wilderness at the cusp of entering the Promised Land. The Lord had told him he would not be taking the people in. Joshua was the one the Lord had anointed and appointed to lead Israel into their geographic and spiritual inheritance.
Then, the Lord Himself says to Joshua at the beginning of his leadership of the campaign to take the Promised Land,
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Paul, in chains and uncertain of his fate, but believing the Lord had called him to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentiles, has the Lord visit him in prison,
“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” Acts 23:11
Then Paul exhorts the Corinthian Church, in order to take hold of God’s will for them,
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”
We cannot enter the Promised Land without courage. We cannot take hold of our inheritance in God without courage.
Courage precedes the Kingdom.
So what is courage? Is it being fearless?
I don’t think so. We are all confronted with fear. We all have to deal with fear on a daily basis. What separates those who get hold of what God has promised, from those who do not, is what we do with that fear.
I love John Wayne’s definition of courage:
“Courage is being scared spitless, but saddling up anyway.”
Courage is a willingness to push through your fear and move forward. Cowardice is giving into the fear and letting it stop you.
Courage is not a gift. Courage is not an ability. Courage is a decision to move forward in the face of fear. Fear is actually the prerequisite for courage. If you aren’t afraid you don’t need courage to move forward.
Courage is an act of your will. It’s not an ability that some are more endowed with than others. Courage is simply a decision to keep moving forward when you are afraid.
And, the beauty of it is, when you “take courage” and move forward, the fear dissipates and that which once intimidated you no longer has the same impact on you. Fear loses its hold on you.
Courage comes by faith – faith in God’s Word. Why could the nation of Israel be strong and courageous? Because the Lord said, “…for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you or forsake you.”
Your courage is found in believing the Truth of what God has said.
God promised He will be with you always, He will never leave you or forsake you. (Matthew 28:20) He promised He will complete His work in you. (Philippians 1:6) He promised that nothing can separate you from His love. (Romans 8:37-39) He promised that He will provide for all your needs according to His riches. (Philippians 4:19) In everything God is working for your good! (Romans 8:27)
Faith, wholehearted conviction, in the promises of God makes us courageous. God’s Truth makes us brave, but only if we believe it!
You can’t ask God for courage. Well, you can, but He won’t give it. He has already given us everything we need to be courageous: we have the Truth of His promises, and we have the free will to choose to believe it. We must “take” courage.
He makes you brave by putting you in fearful, intimidating situations, then invites you to stand on the truth of His promises and move forward through the fear to find Him.
You cannot take hold of all that God has for you, and for others through you, without courage. The beauty is, you have it in you to be brave!
Take courage – it’s a choice. Courage precedes the Kingdom.
Proverbs 28:1
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”