Photo by Cristi Ursea on Unsplash
By Mike Chaffin
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. I Corinthians 16:13-14
A virtue God expects us to display is courage. In our theme verse Paul makes it clear courage helps us to stand strong, and to respond in love to any attack or fear. Paul reiterated that in 2 Timothy,
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
God gives us courage through the Holy Spirit and a sound mind. This allows us to think in the face of fear, danger, and persecution. We can respond courageously, under control of God’s leading.
Where God leads can sometimes be scary, potentially dangerous. However, He is with us just like He was with Joshua when the Israelites entered the promised land. Joshua was thrust into leadership by the death of Moses. He had a daunting task in front of him, and no doubt was afraid, doubting his ability. God instructed him though, and closed the passage with,
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Paul was likely thinking of this passage when he penned this highly quoted verse in Romans,
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
When you remember the words God gave Joshua, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” you can have the courage to go forward in God’s will. The writer of Hebrews took these words, incorporated them into chapter thirteen, and concluded what all Christians should acknowledge when it comes to courageously living for God,
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for always being with me to strengthen, protect, comfort and counsel me at all times, especially those times where fear or cowardice might try to get in. In Jesus’ name, amen.
