Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 13, 2017
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
Courage comes as we follow God’s call. Certainly, there is a time to wait on the Lord in prayer and faith, but once we are confident of Christ’s call we move forward by faith—and in that moment of motion the Holy Spirit ignites courage within our heart. Courage fuels our faith to continue in the power of the Spirit. If, however, we allow fear to postpone our obedience, then we are destined to remain mediocre and miss God’s best. So how do we grow a courageous heart? We take a step of faith and our Heavenly Father blesses us with the courage to be strong in Him.
Joshua had very big shoes to fill as Moses’ assistant (Joshua 1:1)—then as Moses’ successor (Deuteronomy 34:9, Joshua 1:2). The iconic servant of the Lord had seen God face to face—an uncommon prophet, who died at 120 years old, physically strong and clear sighted (Deuteronomy 34:7). Joshua’s name meant “the Lord saves” and its Greek rendering was Jesus! God’s hand of courage and strength rested on Joshua; he was free from fear and discouragement, and rested in the Lord’s presence wherever he went. Courage fuels our faith and dismisses our fears.
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
What area of your life is in need of a fresh infusion of faith and courage? Courage to continue in a relationship where you feel your friend is taking advantage of you? Take courage and trust Christ to bless your selfless service. Courage to transition out of your long standing career because it has become comfortable and predictable? Take courage and embrace the challenge of something new and faith stretching. Courage to confront a conflict because it may mean misunderstanding and rejection? Take courage that uncertainty grows your dependency on God. Courage will come as you remain faithful to the Lord’s call and you continue in His strength.
Who needs you to come alongside them and give them courage to continue in their challenging circumstance? Everyday life’s challenges evaporate courage from a life—like a pot of boiling water needs replenishing to not boil dry—so a life dehydrated from discouragement needs your refreshing words of encouragement. Worry may have someone wrapped around the axle of anxiety so they are consumed by a worst case scenario—if so, patiently listen, comfort and in the right time share the truth of God’s intimate love. Christ is our hope, so give and receive courage!
“But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ” (Hebrews 3:6, NLT).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, since my hope is in Christ, I receive Your courage so I can encourage others.Application
Who needs my patient and consistent encouragement? How can I creatively give them hope in Christ and the courage to carry on?Related Reading
2 Samuel 7:27; Ezra 10:4; Acts 4:13; Philippians 1:20Post/Tweet today
Courage fuels our faith to continue in the power of the Holy Spirit. #WisdomHunters #courageWorship Resource
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I feel blessed by these words. Thank you.
Dear Mr. Godwin,
We are grateful that you were blessed by the devotional “Courage Comes As We Go” and give all the glory to God.
We hope that you will continue to be blessed by the devotionals and look forward to hearing from you again.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 2-3