And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 28:20
When I think of courage, I think of the cowardly lion standing and holding his tail in the Wizard of Oz movie. He is bashful, and afraid of everything. The tears that fall down his face are of sorrow and fear. Just a whim of suggestion from anyone around him and he believes whatever anyone says as truth and his fear is overwhelming. Courage. All he wants is a little courage. He knows what it is and he has a desire for it, but he just needs someone to give it to him, because he cannot conjure it up on his own.
Courage in the Greek definition means to fasten upon, to seize, be strong, help, fortify, to bind and restrain. If I was to fasten upon courage to seize it. That means that God has given us the ability to do so. The ability to stand strong, but how do I do that and not let the fear override me?
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” God hath created us with a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. A mind that can decipher the difference between truth and lies. Fear grabs us when we believe something that is not true. A falsehood that is contradictory to our beliefs. Just as David says to Solomon, to be strong and of good courage, fear not. David is telling his son that he has the God given ability to stand firm in what he believes and to carry out the job that God has given him to do. That God will be with him every step of the way until the end.
To have courage and not let fear override us means we have to take an active part in what we believe is true. Just as Dorothy and her companions shook with fear as they entered the realm of the oz, because they believed the wizard to be something greater than he was, so do we often do in life’s struggles and battles. Are we gonna jump on every word that someone says to us, false teachers preach to us, or bad thoughts that overtake us? Or are we gonna pick up our Bible and take it to heart and stand firm in what the pages say we are in Christ? Gods word has the power to instill us with courage just by reading it and taking it to heart, especially when we feel as though our courage is failing and weak. God says that we have the courage to fasten upon, to seize, to be strong, to ask for help, to fortify our beliefs and bind and restrain them upon our hearts. You are courageous! You have the ability to seize the day, to stand firm in your beliefs, and the time to search for truths in Gods word to keep you strong!
The greatest thing about this is that God knew that we would have to face fear. By knowing that he equips us with courage. The power to seize and stand firm without wavering when necessary. To do this without guilt or shame. He also supplied us with the Bible to find truth in so we are confident in what to stand on. There is no greater joy I have found then standing firm on a truth that I know will last a life time and will never waiver. Truth that gives me strength and confidence in my God and creator! Truth that when I lay down my head for the night can bask me in peace to know that my God will stand with me and watch over me and will help me fight the good fight!! God has done so much for us!!
Dear Heavenly Father, Help me today to stand on the truths of who you are and what your word shows me is true. Instill in me the courage to seek these truths out and face everyday fears that keep me from growing in you. Thank you for the ability to tap into your courage and allowing me to have access to it whenever I call out to you! I ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.
by keri payne 