Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 26, 2014
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
It takes courage to wake up, get up and face the day. Issues and people may make us feel afraid, but with God’s grace we face our fears by faith. Fear is not absent in a courageous spirit–it’s just not in control. It may be a loud passenger in the back seat shouting concerns, but it is not driving the car–courage holds the steering wheel. Thus, we minimize our fears of the unknown and we maximize our faith in the known. Cowards are intimidated into inertia, while courage carries on.
What barriers do you face that courage can help you overcome? Maybe you feel undervalued at work and it is time to ask for a raise. Perhaps you need to tell a friend ‘no’ and risk hurting their feelings, even jeopardizing your friendship. It may be your responsibility to lovingly confront a strong leader about their inappropriate conduct. Courage to continue your education, remain committed to your marriage or stand up to a bully are all noble pursuits. Bravery stays engaged.
“Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it” (Ezra 10:4).
Leaders can courageously find answers or in cowardice make excuses. This is why a decisive leader with average skills is superior to an indecisive leader with greater gifts. Courage causes the one in charge to move forward even when all the facts are not known. Courageous leaders know how to adjust as more data is discovered, but all the while they lead the team toward the goal. A leader with grit and guts doesn’t panic, but perseveres. They follow where Almighty God leads.
Above all, we are wise to gain our courage from Christ. He who modeled courage in the face of the most horrific circumstances gives us what we need to face our fears. His wisdom gives us insight to overcome ignorance. His grace gives us patience to outlast another’s procrastination or prevarication. His love gives us undaunted leadership to lead with compassion and clarity. Thus, we find courage to pray. We feel the support of God’s people and their prayers. Our courage, though imperfect, keeps us focused on our perfect Savior Jesus. Courage exalts Him!
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me courage to do the next right thing and to totally trust You.
Related Readings: Isaiah 35:4; Mark 6:50; Acts 4:13, 27:22-25; 1 Corinthians 16:13
Post/Tweet today: Courage minimizes fear of the unknown and maximizes faith in the known. #wisdomhunters
Additional Resource: 5 min video-What is Courage?- http://bit.ly/1kwapAT
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This devotion is so powerful. Is it not a word for our God fearing government leaders from the city through the federal level, every department and judicial courts? The Church needs to regain her voice declaring truth, righteousness and justice. So we need to pray for our Church leaders as well as ourselves to be filled with courage to speak truth always and declare the counsel of God in every situation. But to do this we must purpose to walk with God and abide in His love.
Dear Susan~
Nicely said. Thank you so much for reaching out to us with your comments on “Courage Not Coward”. I believe you articulated what many of our fellow wisdom hunters are feeling and your words were effective and sincere.
You are so right when you stated,”So we need to pray for our church leaders as well as ourselves to be filled with courage to speak truth always and declare the counsel of God in every situation”. And I think the last part of your sentence is important ~ “in every situation”.
Were you able to watch the video that accompanied this devotional? If not, please try to take a few minutes and do that. Wow! It was very encouraging and what all of need to hear.
I think you will really enjoy it. Thank you again Susan. We love hearing from our Wisdom Hunters family. We look forward to hearing from you again in the future.
Blessings to you and yours.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
P.S. Here is the link, just in case you do not have it:
Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood- What is Courage?- You Tube
http://m.youtube.com/watch?