Courage

September 12th – Psalm 32:1

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Psalm 32:1

Many Christians struggle with forgiveness. We understand the concept in our heads, but fail to receive it in our hearts. And often times, we are far more willing to extend forgiveness to others then we are to ourselves. Needlessly we carry around the burden of guilt, shame, and pain. We fear our sin is too great for God to forgive. And why would He forgive us anyway when we fail him daily? But those feelings and thoughts are lies from Satan who wants nothing more then to keep us from experiencing victory and God’s sweet presence in our lives. The truth is, when we confess and repent God promises to remove our sin from us as far as the “east is from the west.” (Ps. 103:12). So when you falter, talk to God. Draw near to the Lord, telling Him what you’ve done. Then forgive yourself as God forgives you. And most importantly, don’t get discouraged. Because even when we stumble, God is faithful to forgive!

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September 11th – 1Corinthians 16:13

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1 Corinthians 16:13

I love the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. One of my favorite quotes comes from his book “The Lord of the Rings.” The hobbit Bilbo Baggins tells his young cousin, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” That’s how it is living in a fallen world. Scary things can be found all around us. And if we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves getting swept away in fear. We become focused on all there is to be afraid of. We feel overwhelmed by things out of our control, unable to enjoy God’s very best. Max Lucado once said, “The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.” When fear comes we need to put our faith and trust in the Lord, keeping our feet firmly planted on the path He provides and our eyes on Him. So when fear comes to call we can keep it a visitor and not a permanent resident.

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September 1st – Jeremiah 1:17

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Jeremiah 1:17

Jeremiah faithfully served God for over forty years. But when he first heard the Lord’s call, Jeremiah did like many of us do, he questioned God. After all there was no way such a young man could go out and be the voice of the Lord! So fearfully Jeremiah cried out, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak.” (Jeremiah 1:6) And to himself Jeremiah thought, “There must be some mistake. I can’t do this.” But there was no mistake. God knew exactly what He was doing. For in His perfect plan, He created Jeremiah just for this time and this purpose. Before we are born, during creation, God sets each of us apart for the purpose that is uniquely ours. And no matter the calling, whether it be as simple as helping a friend in need, or as hard as delivering a message of doom to a nation, we needn’t fear. We can fulfill the purpose before us knowing if God sees us to it, He’ll see us through it!

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June 16th – Joshua 1:9

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Joshua 1:9

The nations who possessed the promised land were powerful, but none more powerful than God. And so the Lord commanded Joshua to not fear as he led God’s people into the land of milk and honey. When we love and follow the Lord in obedience, we never need worry about the battles we face. No matter the challenge, God has already gone ahead of us and secured our victory. Fear is a powerful tool of the enemy. He uses it to keep us weak and stuck. Many times he used it successfully against the people of Israel. But God calls us to live courageously, without fear, knowing that He is with us at all times. And this message of courage is so important, Moses wrote it down and gave it to the Levitical priests. He then commanded it be kept in the ark of the covenant, and be read to the people every seven years at the feast of booths.

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June 6th – 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

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2 Corinthians 5:6-7

The older I get, the more I long for my promised glorified body. One that no longer knows sickness, pain, and decay. A perfect body clothed in a beautiful white garment provided by my Lord. And one which no longer sins against God or carries the shame of my failures. But until that day, while I wait for that glorious transformation, the apostle Paul tells me I am to walk by faith and not sight. But what exactly does this mean? It means living a life of faith, glorifying God in all I do. And courageously making all of my decisions not based on what the world says, but what the Bible says. Walking by faith means that no matter the circumstance, I will obey God, trust in Him alone, and the guiding of His Holy Spirit. And even though my earthly body will grow frail, never will my love for the Lord!

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August 29th – Acts 5:41

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Acts 5:41

When the Council of Pharisees and the chief priests had Peter and the apostles beaten for spreading the message of Jesus, you’d think they would have stopped preaching. But instead, bloodied and bruised, they rejoiced for being worthy of suffering for the Lord. As Christians we risk persecution and even physical safety for sharing the gospel. Yet like Peter, instead of defeating us, it should empower us to stand firm in faith. For God tells us to consider it a great blessing to suffer and identify with our Savior. Because the Enemy saves his greatest attacks for the strongest of Christians. Those who are actively working for God in expanding His kingdom. The last thing he wants is for us to share the Good News of Jesus and rip souls out of his hands. But that’s what we are called to do, and we need to have courage and determination to serve God above all else. So rejoice when you have the honor of suffering for Jesus, the One who suffered to save you!

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January 31st – Joshua 1:9

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Joshua 1:9

One of the greatest promises of God is that He is always with us. Through the good and bad, the highs and lows, we are never alone. Through every circumstance and every situation, God is there beside us. In His amazing love, the Lord cares, guides, protects, and fights for us, always. All we have to do is trust and obey. On our own, we can do nothing. But with God in our corner, and relying on His strength, the only thing that can hinder us is ourselves. So have no fear, find your courage in God, and be unstoppable!

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January 21st – 2 Chronicles 15:7

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2 Chronicles 15:7

Do you every find yourself saying, “I wish”? “I wish I was skinnier. I wish I was richer. I wish I had a better job. I wish, I wish, I wish.” Sitting around hoping God will make something happen is much easier than actually doing the work ourselves. But that’s not how God operates. He wants us partnering with Him to make things happen. That means we have to do our part. And our part includes praying, listening, and obeying. When we work hand in hand with God, not only does and give us the courage and strength to reach our goals, He promises great blesses for the work we accomplish!

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