“The death and resurrection of Jesus provide us with confidence that victory is secure.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 17, 2025
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10, NLT
Throughout life, we hear the word “courage” in many different settings and situations. Sports teams are courageous in the face of opposition, and soldiers display great courage as they head into battle. It takes courage to start a new job or launch a business, and courage is required in relationships, especially those defined by vulnerability and trust. In each of these situations, fear is always present. In fact, courage is only necessary in the face of fear, for courage is the ability to act faithfully when confronted by adversity and trial.
Fear fills us with many questions and doubts. “What if we lose? What if they won’t forgive me? What if I fail? What if I make a fool of myself? What if they’re right and I’m wrong?” Chances are, right now, in this very moment, there are fears that linger in your heart, often just beneath the surface, that invite you to take courage and face them head-on. Yet, as Christians, the secret isn’t to dig deep and find it within us to take another step forward. No, we are courageous because Christ is with us, and if God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)?
Left to ourselves, there is plenty to fear in life! When we tell ourselves otherwise, we simply are not telling the truth. Yet what is also true, even more true, is that the Lord is our God, and he strengthens us daily by his Spirit at work within us, making us strong and steady, men and women who are able to join in the victory that he has already won.
The death and resurrection of Jesus provide us with confidence that victory is assured. Christ models self-giving love and surrender as the way that leads to life, transforming fear and death as he does. If Christ is risen, there is no room for discouragement and no time for fear to dominate our lives. Hope reigns supreme, and we are invited to live today and every day in light of the promise of the age to come.
Prayer
Father, we look to Christ as our hope and strength today, and the only reason we are able to take courage in the face of fear. Fill us with this holy courage by the power of your Spirit at work within us we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
What fears do you face that need to be seen afresh in the light of Christ’s death and resurrection power?
Related Reading
Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9; John 14:27
Worship Resource
Kristene DiMarco: Take Courage
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